BEMIDJI — The field of Bemidji mayoral candidates is narrowing as challenger Dan Jourdain announced his intention to stop campaigning for the seat.
Jourdain moved on from last month’s primary election after earning about 22% of votes cast.
Incumbent Mayor Jorge Prince was initially elected Bemidji’s mayor in 2020, the same election when Bemidji voters selected “yes” or “no” on a ballot question to change the home-rule charter from a two-year mayoral term to a four-year term.
Jourdain was also elected to the City Council in 2020 during a special election for the at-large seat. Jourdain did not succeed in his 2022 reelection bid, which was against then-Ward 1 Council Member Audrey Thayer.
In a social media announcement, Jourdain said campaigning takes sacrifice and commitment and that he wants to live life peacefully without the stress of city politics.
"As a former elected official of Bemidji, I understood the sacrifice and commitment it took away from your personal life to campaign and be away from family and other things you enjoy doing," Jourdain wrote. "I just want to enjoy my life peacefully and without stress of the city politics. Thanks everybody for their support to this point."
Jourdain's name will still appear on the ballot in November alongside that of Prince.
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Plus: Minnesota State's board of trustees names new interim president for Central Lakes College; Gov. Tim Walz appoints Theodora Gaitas as next Supreme Court Chief Justice; and the U of M Extension is offering free well test kits in the Brainerd area. -
This is the Up North Lookback, where we’re digging into the local news archives from 50 years ago — the year KAXE was born. It’s the week of May 25.
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Contributed/Penguin Random House, Hachette, and Abrams BooksChildren’s librarian Tracy Kampa reviews books by Maya Myers, Richard "Bugman" Jones, Huda Al-Marashi, Matthew Swanson and N. West Moss. -
The tick biodiversity project is driven by citizen scientists' reports of all tick species. Similar research hasn't been done since the 1940s.
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Plus: An Orr man was charged with two felonies for shooting a firefighting plane; and the Bemidji Chamber of Commerce recognized area businesses at its annual luncheon almost a year after the derecho.
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Events this week include "The Sound of Music" in Mountain Iron, the grand opening of a Deer River dog park and a mural unveiling in Bemidji. -
Contributed/Canva Pro graphicMark Smith, 66, died Thursday, May 21, 2026, after hitting a deer near Hill City in southern Itasca County while riding a dirt bike. -
Charlie Mitchell/KAXECo-hosts Heidi Holtan and Charlie Mitchell ponder the advisability of Charlie waylaying wildlife.Send us a voice memo through Speak Pipe! -
Plus: Red Lake Nation residents cast ballots for the tribal council election; and bipartisan housing legislation made it across the finish line in the divided Legislature.
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Contributed/Max Nesterak / Minnesota ReformerFifteen people are charged with targeting over $90M across Medicaid programs aimed at helping the most vulnerable, including homeless people, children with autism and disabled people.
