Winnebago County voters are getting a firsthand look at the Democratic candidate for sheriff: Danielle “Dani” Falesnik, a self-described nonbinary queer transgender activist with zero law-enforcement experience who has spent more than two decades as a psychic medium and tarot reader.
Falesnik, who uses they/them pronouns and lists herself as a licensed professional counselor with 15 years in mental health and crisis response, is campaigning on a platform centered on maximizing federal grants and what her website calls systemic trauma-informed care approaches to policing, officer wellness, and community interactions. Her campaign site makes no mention of psychic work or personal identity details, instead emphasizing mental health credentials, constitutional protections, and rebuilding “a sense of purpose” in the community.
Falesnik has an extensive and polarizing social media presence. She has posted videos of spellwork and occult content on TikTok and describes herself professionally as a psychic medium and tarot reader with over 24 years of experience, also listing Reiki master credentials. Her therapy profiles combine spirituality, tarot, and psychic practices with counseling, especially for LGBTQ+ clients. Note the collection of TikTok’s compiled below (warning: language).
Falesnik’s campaign website lists priorities including pursuing grants to ease taxpayer burdens, implementing trauma-informed practices department-wide, and protecting residents from alleged constitutional violations by federal law enforcement agencies such as ICE. It does not detail traditional sheriff duties, such as managing jail operations, coordinating with state and federal agencies, or overseeing patrol and investigations. The sheriff’s office handles patrol, court security, jail management, and emergency response for the county’s roughly 170,000 residents. Instead, Falesnik’s campaign calls for a better feature by abandoning fear, slowing down, and observing hope by connecting to our community and rebuilding a sense of purpose in our lives.
