Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth secured the Republican nomination for governor in Tuesday's primary, setting up a contest against the Democratic nominee to replace outgoing Gov. Tim Walz.
Demuth’s victory represents a significant achievement for the Republican party, which has not won a statewide election in Minnesota since 2006. This 18-year streak is the longest for either major party in the state’s history.
She overcame challenges within the party, including losing the Republican endorsement to Kendall Qualls at the state convention. Despite this, Demuth continued her campaign, emphasizing her legislative experience and leadership of House Republicans. She also defeated MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who had secured an endorsement from former President Donald Trump and possessed significant national name recognition.
"There is hope for Minnesota, for the change that is so desperately needed," Demuth told Fox News Digital following her win. "People are frustrated with fraud, they can't believe that it happened, that it was allowed to go on for so long, and so I think the message is hope, and change that is desperately needed, reducing taxes and improving education, and ending that fraud are those main messages."
The gubernatorial race took a significant turn in January when Walz announced he would not seek a third term. He cited a desire to focus on combating fraud in state programs during his final year in office. Walz's administration has faced criticism over alleged fraud in state programs, with prosecutors estimating potential losses exceeding $9 billion.
Walz's decision to withdraw from the race opened the door for other candidates, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who eventually entered the contest. Her entry transformed the election from a potential referendum on Walz's tenure into a race against a prominent statewide politician.
Demuth, a state representative from Cold Spring, served as the Speaker of the Minnesota House during the 2025 session. The state has seen a prolonged Republican losing streak in statewide elections, with 28 consecutive losses extending through the 2024 election cycle. Demuth's campaign aims to break this trend by focusing on issues such as fraud reduction, tax relief, and education improvement.