Two candidates have filed for Cherry County sheriff race

Erick Wickman, the county’s current chief deputy, and Maxwell Renning, a Cherry County deputy, have both submitted their paperwork to run for the position.

January 21, 2026Updated: January 21, 2026
News Channel NebraskaBy News Channel Nebraska

VALENTINE, Neb. — Two candidates have filed to run for Cherry County sheriff in the upcoming election.

Erick Wickman, the county’s current chief deputy, and Maxwell Renning, a Cherry County deputy, have both submitted their paperwork to run for the position.

Incumbent candidates have until Feb. 17 to file for office, while nonincumbent candidates have until March 2. Candidates for village board positions, which appear only on the general election ballot, have filing deadlines of July 15 for incumbents and Aug. 3 for nonincumbents.

Current Sheriff Rusty Osburn has previously told county commissioners in meetings that he is nearing retirement, but News Channel Nebraska has not yet confirmed whether he plans to seek reelection.

Several other local candidates have also filed. Incumbents Neil Wescott and Bradley Arnold have filed for Valentine City Council, while incumbent Jessica Coyle has filed for the Valentine Community Schools Board of Education. Incumbent Barry Lancaster has also filed to run for the Nenzel Village Board.

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