In a closely split Minnesota House, Duran and Olson meet again in 2A

Two years after one of northern Minnesota’s closest legislative races, Republican Rep. Bidal Duran Jr. and DFL challenger Reed Olson are on the ballot again in House District 2A on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Duran won the seat in 2024 by 851 votes. This time the result could matter statewide. DFLers hold 67 of the House’s 134 seats and Republicans hold 66, with one vacancy. It takes 68 for a majority, which puts close districts like 2A, running from the college town of Bemidji to Lake of the Woods on the Canadian border, near the center of the fight for control.

The candidates laid out their differences in an Oct. 5 debate on Lakeland PBS. Polite but pointed, they split most sharply on who is to blame for high prices, whether the state should guarantee child care and whether Minnesota’s free school meals are worth the cost.

Duran and Olson argue over who’s to blame for high gas prices and property taxes

“We try to push things on to the federal government, but a lot of the time it’s us,” Duran said about the high cost of living. “It’s the state of Minnesota who has done the things that we’re all talking about to ourselves.”

From higher gas and property taxes to rising unemployment, Duran says the problems go back to when the DFL Party controlled the legislature and the governor’s Office.

“The Democrats have increased all of our prices everywhere,” said Duran. “Property taxes have gone up because of what? Unfunded mandates on our counties. What do you think that does to us?”

“I’m pretty sure our gas prices are up because of an unnecessary war with Iran,” Olson responded. “I’m pretty sure that’s because of a shortage of supply.”

With diesel prices in the state topping $6 per gallon as of October, Olson says it’s driving up prices throughout the economy.

“Our grocery prices are going up because diesel is through the roof,” he said. “The independent trucker in America, which is the backbone of our national economy, cannot function because of the high prices. That’s not anything that happened domestically here in Minnesota.”

What Olson and Duran say about child care

Olson says he supports universal access to child care. He calls it an economic issue.

“Our economy here in Bemidji cannot grow and the district cannot grow if we can’t get people to work,” he said, adding that lowering the price of child care makes it easier for people to find jobs.

“We need investments. We deserve the investment. We need to put people to work and that is one way we can do it.”

Duran says universal access will drive up taxes even higher and that there are other ways to lower the price of child care. That includes in-home care that costs about half the price of a daycare center.

“There’s one way that we can afford childcare in northern Minnesota, and that is to actually to incentivize more in-home providers to come out and be a part of our community, to make sure we actually can benefit them the best way we can,” Duran said.

The candidates’ take on Minnesota’s free school meals

Minnesota’s free school meals program became law in 2023. It provides free breakfasts and lunches to students regardless of their ability to pay.

Olson calls it a “wonderful program.” He says, “There are studies that show it raise test scores, that it increases student achievement.”

“It really does help make the school district better.”

Duran criticizes the program as “wasteful” and says it should focus on the children who actually need the assistance.

“Have we done better since the implementation of this program? Have scores gone up?” he asks. “No, we haven’t seen a difference. But we’ve seen waste in food and seen a waste in our tax dollars.”

Multiple studies showed that the program increased the number of students eating school lunch by 15% and school breakfast by 40%. The state education department estimates it saves a family about $1,000 a year per student.

Where Olson and Duran agree

Data centers: They agree local communities should have the right to decide if they want data centers.

School budgets: Olson and Duran say unfunded mandates from the state government are hurting schools and raising property taxes.

Minnesota House District 2A is in the northernmost part of the state, from the college town of Bemidji to Lake of the Woods along the Canadian border. It’s seen by some as a bellwether district. A win by Olson, or just a strong performance, could signal a good night for DFL candidates across the state.

The Minnesota House election is Nov. 3, 2026.

The debate was aired on Lakeland PBS and can be viewed here: