Bemidji Mayoral Race Narrowed Down to Two Candidates

The mayoral race in Bemidji was narrowed down to two candidates following Tuesday’s primary election.

Following the primary, the race for Bemidji city mayor went from six candidates down to two. The finalists are LaValley Industries CFO Jorge Prince and Bemidji City Council Member and TrekNorth academic advisor Michael Meehlhause.

For Prince, he is running for the second time. Prince has an interest in focusing on the fiscal responsibilities of the city and seeking positive change for individual citizens’ economic conditions.

For Meehlhause, this is his first time running for mayor after eight years representing Ward 1 on the Bemidji City Council. He believes this helps qualify him for the role. Until the next election, the plan for Meehlhause is to continue to listen to the community and try to build and create connections while respecting social distancing.

The race for Bemidji mayor will be determined in the general election, which will take place on November 3rd. Current mayor Rita Albrecht is not running again this year as she is seeking the Minnesota Senate District 5 seat.