Bidal Duran files to seek another term in Minnesota House

Bidal Duran filed Tuesday to seek another term in the Minnesota House, putting Beltrami County’s local concerns back at the center of a race that stretches from Bemidji to Baudette and includes the Red Lake Reservation. For voters in House District 2A, the filing means another election cycle to judge how Duran has handled the issues he has said matter most: higher tax rates, education and public safety.

Duran’s filing came during Minnesota’s official candidate-filing window, which runs from May 19 through June 2 at 5 p.m. He is the Republican representative for District 2A and serves as assistant Republican leader in the Minnesota House, where he holds committee assignments on Judiciary Finance and Civil Law, Public Safety Finance and Policy, Veterans and Military Affairs Division, and Higher Education Finance and Policy.

The district gives Duran a broad rural and reservation constituency. Along with much of Beltrami County, House District 2A includes Bemidji, Solway and Wilton, plus northern Clearwater County and the cities of Clearbrook and Gonvick, Lake of the Woods County and Baudette, and the Red Lake Reservation. That mix of city, county and tribal communities makes the seat one of the region’s key conduits to St. Paul, especially on taxes, schools and public safety funding.

Duran won the seat in the November 5, 2024 general election by defeating DFL candidate Reed Olson. He assumed office on January 14, 2025, and his current term ends on January 12, 2027. Olson announced in December that he is running again, setting up a rematch in a district where each campaign will likely turn on how residents assess Duran’s first term.

The Minnesota House lists Duran’s occupation as law enforcement and says he has a master’s degree in criminal justice from Concordia University, St. Paul. Lakeland PBS has described him as a combat veteran and former law enforcement officer from Bemidji, and Duran has said a state representative should be accessible, dependable and focused on helping constituents navigate challenges at the Capitol.

The broader political backdrop matters too. The Minnesota House says the 2025 session ended on May 19, 2025, and Duran later said a special session was still ahead. That leaves voters heading into 2026 with a chance to weigh not only party labels, but whether Duran delivered for the district’s schools, roads, public safety needs and the wider Beltrami County region before asking for another term.