# Dean Urdahl

Dean L. Urdahl (born August 18, 1949) is an American politician who served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2003 to 2025. A member of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Urdahl represented District 16A in central Minnesota, which includes the cities of Litchfield and Montevideo, Renville County, and parts of Chippewa, Kandiyohi, and Meeker Counties. He is a retired teacher and coach.

## Early life, education, and career

Urdahl grew up in Litchfield, Minnesota. His roots run deep in the area: his ancestors helped settle Litchfield Township in 1856. He graduated from Litchfield High School and St. Cloud State University, earning a B.S. in social studies. He got his start in politics working on U.S. Representative John Zwach's campaign staff in 1970.
Urdahl was an American history teacher and coach in the New London-Spicer School District from 1971 to 2006. He has served on the Minnesota Education in Agriculture Leadership Council, the Minnesota Commission on Public Service Reform, and the Minnesota State Board of Nursing. In July 2008, he was appointed as the Minnesota representative to the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. In 2012 Urdahl was named co-chair of the Minnesota Civil War Sesquicentennial Task Force.
Urdahl has written a book about former members of the Minnesota Twins baseball team and another about famous Minnesotans. He has written four books of historical fiction set in Minnesota during the Dakota War of 1862. Urdahl also wrote two historical novels about Minnesota's soldiers in the American Civil War, concentrating on the war's western theater.
Urdahl married Karen Frantti in 1971. They have three sons and 11 grandchildren. He is a Lutheran.

## Minnesota House of Representatives

Urdahl ran as the Independent-Republican Party candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives District 15B in 1992 and 1994, losing to incumbent Roger Cooper. In 1996, he ran in the Republican primary for District 15B, losing to Drew Hultgren.
Urdahl was elected to the House in 2002, after incumbent Gary Kubly retired, and was reelected every two years until his retirement in 2024. In 2011-12 and 2015-16 he chaired the Legacy Division, which oversees funds raised by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment to the Minnesota Constitution. During the 2017-18 legislative session, Urdahl chaired the Capital Investment Committee. He later served as the minority lead on the Capital Investment Committee and sat on the Education Policy Committee.
Urdahl was instrumental in obtaining funding for the Minnesota State Capitol restoration and was named to serve on the Capitol Restoration Commission his committee established.

## Electoral history

2002 Minnesota State House - District 18B :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dean Urdahl | 8,757 | 52.60 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Mari Urness Pokornowski | 6,527 | 39.21 |
| | Constitution | Phillip Jarman | 1,324 | 7.95 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 40 | 0.24 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 16,648 | 100.0 |
| | Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) | Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) | Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) | Republican gain from Democratic (DFL) |
2004 Minnesota State House - District 18B :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dean Urdahl | 11,079 | 55.82 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | David Detert | 8,760 | 44.14 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 7 | 0.04 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 19,846 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2006 Minnesota State House - District 18B :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dean Urdahl | 8,860 | 52.92 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | David Detert | 7,869 | 47.00 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 12 | 0.07 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 16,741 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2008 Minnesota State House - District 18B :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dean Urdahl | 11,813 | 58.65 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | David Detert | 8,296 | 41.19 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 31 | 0.15 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 20,140 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2010 Minnesota State House - District 18B :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dean Urdahl | 10,062 | 64.36 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Darrin Anderson | 5,545 | 35.47 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 27 | 0.17 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 15,634 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2012 Minnesota State House - District 18A :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dean Urdahl | 11,744 | 58.28 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Nancy Larson | 8,372 | 41.55 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 35 | 0.17 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 20,151 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2014 Minnesota State House - District 18A :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dean Urdahl | 9,965 | 67.22 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Steven Schiroo | 4,808 | 32.43 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 52 | 0.35 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 14,825 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2016 Minnesota State House - District 18A :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dean Urdahl | 17,787 | 97.81 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 399 | 2.19 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 18,186 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2018 Minnesota State House - District 18A :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dean Urdahl | 11,884 | 69.19 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Justin Vold | 4,269 | 24.85 |
| | Reform | Kyle Greene | 650 | 3.78 |
| | Libertarian | Jill Galvan | 363 | 2.11 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 11 | 0.06 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 17,177 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2020 Minnesota State House - District 18A :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dean Urdahl | 19,594 | 97.59 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 483 | 2.41 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 20,077 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2022 Minnesota State House - District 16A :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Dean Urdahl | 12,986 | 73.27 |
| | Democratic (DFL) | Robert M. Wright | 4,714 | 26.60 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 24 | 0.14 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 17,724 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |