Beltrami County GOP Endorses Three Incumbent State Legislators at March Convention

More than 100 delegates packed the Beltrami County Republican Party's office inside Paul Bunyan Mall on March 7, unanimously endorsing three incumbent Northern Minnesota legislators and sending them into the November midterm campaign with the county party's full backing.

The endorsements came during a separate endorsing convention that followed the party's annual convention, both held the same day at the Bemidji mall location. Delegates backed Minnesota House 2A Rep. Bidal Duran, Minnesota House 2B Rep. Matt Bliss, and Minnesota District 2 Sen. Steve Green by unanimous vote. The three seats collectively represent parts of Beltrami County and a broader swath of Northern Minnesota.

The March 7 gathering was the second major organizational step in a process that began Feb. 3, when Beltrami County Republicans held their caucus and first selected delegates. At the annual convention that preceded Saturday's endorsing vote, delegates also chose representatives to send to the Congressional District 8 convention and the Republican State Convention, and passed various resolutions for consideration by the state GOP.

"This being an election year, the Republican Party is enthusiastic about getting its message out to the electorate and campaigning for its candidates," a party release concluded.

Duran, Bliss, and Green will now carry the county party's endorsement into campaigns for re-election in the November 3, 2026 midterm elections. The unanimous vote signals the Beltrami County GOP is not looking to shake up its legislative roster heading into the cycle; rather, the party is consolidating around its current officeholders in House districts 2A and 2B and Senate District 2 as its preferred standard-bearers for the fall contest.