Two longtime lawmen seeking the Grand Forks County sheriff's seat will square off in Tuesday's general election.
Mike Flannery, a Grand Forks police detective, and Bob Rost, chief deputy of the sheriff's department, are vying to replace Sheriff Dan Hill, who is retiring after serving 20 years.
In the June primary, Rost and Flannery were the top two vote-getters in a six-candidate field, which allowed them to advance to the general election. Flannery got nearly 19 percent of the vote, while Rost received close to 42 percent.
Flannery, 62, began working as a patrol officer for the Grand Forks Police Department in 1973 and became a detective in 1988. He specializes in investigating fraud and financial crime. He ran unsuccessfully against Hill in 2006.
Rost, 61, became police chief in Stephen, Minn., in 1970, then moved to the Marshall County (Minn.) Sheriff's Office in 1971. In 1979, he became a deputy in Grand Forks County. He served as acting sheriff in 1986 and 1987.
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Earlier this month, Flannery took out a full-page ad in the Herald criticizing Rost for how he operates in his job as chief deputy and in other roles. Rost largely denied the allegations and dismissed the ad as a "smear campaign."
Ingersoll reports on crime and courts. Reach him at (701) 780-1269; (800) 477-6572, ext. 269; or send e-mail to aingersoll@
gfherald.com.
