Minnesota
Minneapolis sheriff convicted of DUI won’t seek re-election
MINNEAPOLS (AP) — A Minneapolis sheriff who was convicted of drunken driving said Wednesday he won’t seek re-election in November.
Hennepin County Sheriff Dave Hutchinson has faced calls for his resignation for crashing his county-issued sport utility vehicle in December after drinking at a conference in Alexandria. His blood alcohol content was nearly twice the legal limit.
Hutchinson topped out at 126 mph, before rolling the county-owned SUV on Interstate 94, near Alexandria, Minn., according to the Minnesota State Patrol report.
Hutchinson said initially that he had no plans to step down. However, he said in a statement Wednesday that he would not run again, the Star Tribune reported.
“After spending time over the past month having discussions with family, friends and supporters, I have made the difficult decision to not seek re-election for Hennepin County Sheriff in the 2022 election,” the release said.
Hutchinson was convicted of fourth-degree driving while intoxicated and agreed as part of his plea deal to undergo random drug and alcohol testing. He was ordered to abstain from drinking alcohol.
Hutchinson took office in 2018 after narrowly defeating longtime incumbent Rich Stanek, who recently announced that he will seek the Republican nomination for governor. Before becoming sheriff, Hutchinson was a sergeant with Metro Transit police.