Incumbent 4th District Commissioner Christopher Shoff is drawing on his experience on the local, state and national levels in his effort to be re-elected to his third term.

Shoff, 40, is running for re-election against former Albert Lea Mayor Randy Erdman, 61, in the Nov. 4 general election. Erdman, a businessman, served as a city councilor and mayor from 2003 to 2009.

Shoff, a chiropractor, resides at 405 Garden Road and was the last of eight children. His father, Niles Shoff, served as Albert Lea mayor from 1959 to 1968.

Christopher Shoff was first elected to the county board in 2006 in a close race and ran unopposed in 2010. He served as chairman of the Board of Commissioners in 2009, 2010 and 2014.

Looking over his eight years in office, he said he is pleased with the way the county has controlled its portion of property taxes, especially for people who live in the city limits.

He also pointed to the county securing the Veterans Affairs clinic in Albert Lea, the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement contract for the jail and to negotiating with the Union Pacific Railroad for 12 miles of abandoned line as successes during his time in office.

As he looks ahead to another term, he said he thinks it will be important to continue to function with limited resources.

He said he would support continued collaboration with the city and talked about the importance of addressing road concerns. A statewide study conducted about transportation needs found that Freeborn County has a 3 1/2 million deficit each year on road repairs that need to be conducted.

Shoff said county leaders have developed a long-term plan of how to approach the roads and are also shifting the way they are maintained once they have been reconstructed or repaired. He noted he has met personally with Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton about transportation concerns in his role as the first vice president of the Association of Minnesota Counties.

If re-elected, he will serve as the president of the association — the first time a Freeborn County commissioner has ever served in this position. He is also involved with the National Association of Counties.

Shoff said he saw the value from County Engineer Sue Miller serving as president of the National Association of County Engineers and thinks it could be helpful for the county in this position as well.

Because of his involvement with the association, he is often familiar with issues on the state and national level, many times before they affect the local community.

Shoff said he looks forward to getting out and meeting with people in the district in the next few weeks prior to the election.