Beltrami Co. Sheriff Candidate Bidal Duran Elaborates on Campaign Platform

As many campaigns are starting to ramp up for elections in November, one local race has already seen a few active candidates push their bid for Beltrami County Sheriff to the forefront.

Soon after Sheriff Ernie Beitel announced his retirement for the end of this year, the first person to throw his hat into the ring was Bidal Duran, the current Hubbard County narcotics investigator and former Bemidji police officer. Duran’s career in law enforcement started in 2013, and he previously served in the Marine Corps.

Duran says his main platform is to “bring back the community in law enforcement,” and for him there appears to be a disconnect between law enforcement’s actual purpose and how those in the community interpret it. Issues such as mental health awareness, resource management and expectations, and general communication and clarification are among the areas that fall under this platform.

Duran also spoke on how his current position of narcotics investigator has deepened his knowledge and awareness of drug use in the area.

Running against Duran is Jarrett Walton, the current Beltrami County Chief Deputy. If more candidates enter the race, there could be a primary in August prior to the official election for Beltrami County Sheriff in November.