As of 2026, 47 of 50 U.S. states have had a female county sheriff. Most early female sheriffs were widows appointed to fill out the unexpired term of a spouse. The first female sheriff was appointed in Missouri in 1895, and such occurrences, while still not common, became more prevalent by the 1920s. The first female sheriff to be elected to office instead of only appointed occurred in 1919. 47 U.S. states elect sheriffs, and at least 43 U.S. states have elected a female sheriff.
History
In smaller rural counties in the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s, it was not unusual for the wife of the sheriff to assist her husband in the running of the office by doing administrative work, overseeing jail inmates, and other tasks.Rick Ruddell & Ken Leyton-Brown (2013) All in the Family: The Role of the Sheriff's Wife in 20th-Century Mom and Pop Jails, Women & Criminal Justice, 23:4, 267-285 For example, as far back as 1870, newspapers reported that a Mrs. J.H. Latty of Des Moines County, Iowa, in working with her husband sheriff, was in effect "a woman sheriff, or at least a woman Deputy Sheriff," and described her management of the county jail, foiling of a prisoner escape attempt, flogging prisoners for using "profane and boisterous language", and delivering a prisoner to the state penitentiary by herself.(2 July 1870). A Female Sheriff, Trinity Journal (Weaverville, California) (story reprinted from the Burlington Hawk Eye) Since the wives of sheriffs knew about all aspects of the job of being sheriff, when a sheriff unexpectedly died either through illness or in the line of duty, in some cases a sheriff's widow would be appointed to fill an unexpired term, or until a special election could be held.(18 March 2025). The History of Women in Law Enforcement, Florida Sheriff's Association
The first woman who officially served as sheriff in any state in the United States was Helen C. Stewart in Greene County, Missouri, who was appointed on 9 August 1895 after her husband died of illness. She was only to serve until a special election could be held the next month, but the decision of who to appoint was hotly debated. The deceased sheriff had a son who was not yet 21, and doubts were raised as to whether a woman—who could not vote—could legally serve as sheriff.(25 July 1895). To Elect A Sheriff, Springfield Leader and Press(12 August 1895). Time Too Short, Springfield Leader and Press The three county judges who had to make the decision of who to appoint eventually voted for the widow, with one judge abstaining. Her brief tenure in office was controversial. When "Mrs. Sheriff Stewart" fired the county jailor, who was the brother of the abstaining judge, he refused to confirm her replacement. But another of the county judges eventually allowed the appointment.(30 August 1895). Mrs. Stewart Wins, Springfield Weekly Republican(2 September 1895). She Meant Business, The Plain Dealer Stewart's appointment drew brief national attention. Though most newspapers just pointed to the novelty of the event, the Atlanta Constitution was compelled to speak out, crying that a "community which chooses a woman for sheriff is marching back into a state of barbarism."(12 August 1895). Draw the Line Here!, The Atlanta Constitution The Cleveland Plain-Dealer found that absurd: "What particular era, epoch, age or condition of barbarism had women sheriffs? Are why are you afraid of a woman sheriff, anyway?"
Stewart's appointment in 1895 remained an outlier until the late 1910s, though Missouri again briefly appointed a woman sheriff in 1912, when Nancy H. Williams took office in Laclede County, Missouri after her husband died.(28 January 1912). Missouri Boasts of Woman For Sheriff, The Houston Chronicle However, a growing number of women began to be hired as deputy sheriffs in the 1900s and 1910s.(24 March 1905). Colorado Gets First Woman Deputy Sheriff, The San Francisco Examiner(29 April 1907). Busy Women in Many Fields, Buffalo Courier (M. Jennie Kendall first woman deputy sheriff in New Hampshire in 1907)(15 January 1911). First Woman Deputy Sheriff at Olympia, Statesman Journal (Edna W. Edings appointed deputy sheriff in Washington state in 1911)
The appointment of Emma Daugherty Banister in Coleman County, Texas in August 1918 after her husband's death began a long line of increasing appointments into the 1920s and beyond. And in 1919, with Missouri again leading the way, Minnie Mae Talbott became the first woman elected to the office of sheriff in the United States, in a special election to replace her husband who had been killed on duty. While the women's suffrage campaign was getting closing to success, Talbott's 1919 election was by an all-male electorate.Woodka, Chris (4 October 1992). First woman sheriff's election in America nearly forgotten, The Pueblo Chieftain By 1930, at least 25 U.S. states had had a woman sheriff. While most had been appointed to replace dead husbands, a few had won an election after their appointment, or were elected to succeed a still-living husband, oftentimes because their husband was term-limited.
As of 2026, it appears that three states have never had a female sheriff, though women have served in other high ranking law enforcement positions. These are Delaware (where sheriffs do not engage in typical law enforcement work) and Wyoming (which did have the first female governor in the United States in 1925 with Nellie Tayloe Ross, who was elected to replace her dead husband), as well as Alaska (which does not have sheriffs, as the state does not have a county system of government).
The below chart lists the first known woman sheriff to serve in each U.S. state, regardless of whether they took office by appointment or election. The novelty of a woman serving as sheriff typically garnered news headlines, but newspapers have often made incorrect claims that an appointment was first in a state, overlooking prior appointments. Thus, while every entry in this list is supported by sources, there is the possibility that earlier cases may still be identified in some states. As far as is possible, the listed date of each entry is for the date an appointment occurred, or the date that an election occurred, even if the person was sworn in or took office at a later date.
Following this chart is a chart of the first known female sheriff to be elected in each U.S. state.
First Female Sheriff To Serve In Each U.S. State (whether appointed or elected)