Minnesota city council gains second Indigenous voice
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February 16, 2021
Dan Jourdain, Red Lake Nation, was elected to Bemidji City Council in Minnesota on Feb. 9, 2021. (Photo courtesy of Dan Jourdain campaign)
The Bemidji City Council in northern Minnesota just got more Indigenous.
Dan Jourdain, Red Lake Nation, won a special election on Feb. 9 by defeating a former council member and mayor. Jourdain received 524 votes to Dave Larson's 410 votes in an at-large council seat race. In November's general election, Jourdain came in second to Larson - 1,784 to 2,160 - in a race where the two top vote getters advanced.
With the win, Jourdain joins a 7-person council that includes his mentor and friend Audrey Thayer, White Earth Nation. Thayer was elected in November.
"Being a Native American growing up in the city seemed rather daunting, but that's just the norm," Jourdain said in a short video statement. "It goes to show no matter who you are, if you work hard, good things will eventually occur."
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