Landon Bahl, of Grand Forks, joins race for seat in District 17

Grand Forks Herald
·2 min read

Mar. 9—GRAND FORKS — A small-business owner from Grand Forks has entered the race to gain a seat in the North Dakota Legislature.

Landon Bahl, a Republican, made the announcement in a release sent to the Herald Wednesday afternoon. He'll vie for a spot in District 17, which includes south and southeast Grand Forks, as well as a portion of rural area just west of the city limits.

Bahl did not say if he's running for a spot in the state Senate or House of Representatives. When reached by the Herald for clarification, he said he is keeping his options open for the time being.

"I have been encouraged by local and state leaders to run for the Legislature on the Republican ticket. I'm excited to help shape the future of District 17, the city of Grand Forks and the State of North Dakota," he said in the release. "As we continue to invest in infrastructure, defense, unmanned aircraft systems, ag, energy, health care, manufacturing and research, there needs to be leaders who are ready and not afraid of innovation. In addition, leaders need to understand what it takes to run a successful small business in North Dakota.

Bahl said he'll be "motivated and excited to help the city of Grand Forks keep evolving and continue to be an innovator in those areas and more."

Bahl is a native of Minot and attended UND, graduating from the entrepreneurship and marketing programs in 2016. As a student, he was an emcee at UND hockey games from 2014 to 2016.

According to the release send Wednesday, Bahl operates small businesses in North Dakota, including Knowles Jewelry in Minot and LandoLive Music Festival at Lake Metigoshe. He is employed as a full-time fundraiser at the UND Alumni Association & Foundation.

He served on the board of Edgewood REIT from 2012-2014, as a member of the Dakota Venture Group, the nation's only fully student-run venture capital fund. He is a homeowner in District 17.

He said his campaign platform include responsible state spending, lower taxes, improving infrastructure, workforce development and strong educational support.

Bahl said he built his businesses and young professional career on integrity, transparency and being innovative — attributes he believes are needed in politics.

"As a business leader, I prefer innovation over regulation," he said.