El Dorado County Sheriff Jeff Leikauf to retire after 36 years

El Dorado County Sheriff Jeff Leikauf plans to retire at the end of the year after 36 years with the sheriff's office.

Leikauf announced this week that his last day will be Dec. 25. He was elected sheriff in 2022 and said his retirement will come after completing the four-year term he promised voters.

"Serving as Sheriff of El Dorado County has been one of the greatest honors of my life," Leikauf wrote in a letter to the Board of Supervisors.

Leikauf is recommending Undersheriff Eric Palmberg replace him.

The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider Palmberg's appointment next week. If approved, he would take over Dec. 26 and serve through the remainder of the current term, which ends Jan. 8, 2029.

Palmberg has spent 19 years with the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office and has served as undersheriff since November 2025.