Hagerty and Hensleigh Vie for Jefferson County Commissioner Seat

Jefferson County Commissioner candidates Mary Janacaro-Hensleigh and Dan Hagerty, both from Whitehall, are looking forward to Election Day on November 8th, both admitting it will be nice once the race for the Commissioner seat is complete.

“Honestly, I’m tired of political campaigns in general,” Hensleigh said with a laugh. Hensleigh is currently the town of Whitehall’s mayor, and has been for the last 10 years; she will release the position to Town Council Chair Roy Milligan should she be elected as County Commissioner. “It should be very seamless if it does happen. Roy is in-the-know and knowledgeable.”

Hensleigh’s priorities, if elected, will be transparency within the County Commission to the public, as well as the continued eradication of noxious weeds throughout the county. And while she loves serving, she says this will be the last time she runs for public office; her tenure, if elected as Commissioner, will be one-and-done.

“The younger generation really needs to get involved; us babyboomers can’t do this forever,” Hensleigh said. Hensleigh said running for Commissioner wasn’t on her radar originally, but when the position became available, many of the public she serves in Whitehall pushed her to run.

While running wasn’t originally on Hensleigh’s mind, the Commissioner seat is something Dan Hagerty has thought of often.

“I’m not a politician; I’m a mediator, a problem solver,” Hagerty said, adding that action must be taken at a County level to them be moved higher up the chain of command. “If we worry about the county first, we can get more done at the higher levels.”

Hagerty, who retired from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s department after 37 years less than a year ago brings an investigative nature to the potential position of Commissioner, as he was taught to take things under advisement, investigate, then get an outcome while a peace officer.

Hagerty’s priorities, if elected, are getting Whitehall more recognition as a vital part of Jefferson County, noting that Whitehall seems to have been overlooked in recent years. Growth and infrastructure are also key items on his list.

Transparency in communications between all segments of the county is also of key importance.

“We need to represent as a whole, all while explaining why X, Y, and Z are being done.”

Hagerty and Hensleigh, along with Tom Grimsrud and Chad Cross - Jefferson County Sheriff/Coroner candidates, will be at Thursday’s candidate forum held at Borden’s at 6 PM.

“Get out and vote - that is the most important thing now,” said Hensleigh. “Get involved.”