Minnesota state House Speaker Lisa Demuth secured a victory in the Republican primary for governor. This win, projected by NBC News, positions her against Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar in the upcoming general election. Demuth managed to defeat Mike Lindell, an ally of former President Trump and the founder of MyPillow, challenging expectations.
Lindell, known for promoting election conspiracy theories, had led in limited public polling and was endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Despite these advantages, Lindell’s campaign struggled due to criticisms from within his party. The chairman of the Minnesota Republican Party questioned his residency, creating setbacks in the closing weeks of the primary. The Minnesota GOP sought a candidate with potential to unseat Klobuchar in the general election.
The campaign saw Lindell facing legal battles stemming from support of Trump’s discredited claims about the 2020 presidential election, which President Joe Biden won. During a Minnesota Farmfest forum, Klobuchar appeared with three GOP governor candidates, labeling them as aligned with Trump’s agenda.
Demuth, alongside other Republicans and Trump, criticized Democrats in the state regarding significant fraud scandals involving Medicaid and pandemic aid. Allegations included the diversion of hundreds of millions earmarked for welfare programs. At the farm event, Demuth pointed at “incompetent Democrat control” for these fraud cases, referencing her role in establishing the Fraud Prevention Agency Oversight Committee while in the state House.
Democratic Governor Tim Walz initially intended to run for a third term but withdrew due to the criticism over fraud cases. Subsequently, Klobuchar launched her gubernatorial campaign. She joins four senators running for governor this year.
Despite Demuth’s triumph, Republicans will contend with prevailing political trends. Kamala Harris, as Vice President, won Minnesota by a margin of approximately four percentage points in the last presidential election, when Walz was part of her ticket.