Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth emerged victorious in the Republican gubernatorial primary. She will proceed to face the Democratic nominee in the general election to succeed the outgoing Governor Tim Walz.
Demuth’s win signals a significant show of strength. She remained in the race after losing the Republican Party’s endorsement to Kendall Qualls at the state convention. Despite Qualls securing the endorsement after ten ballots, Demuth emphasized her legislative experience. She argued that her leadership of House Republicans made her the strongest candidate for the general election.
Lisa Demuth also outperformed MyPillow founder and CEO Mike Lindell, who had the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
Republicans have not won a statewide election in Minnesota since Governor Tim Pawlenty’s close reelection victory in 2006. Since then, the party has lost 28 consecutive statewide contests up to and including the 2024 election. This 18-year losing streak for Republicans is the longest in Minnesota’s history.
Governor Tim Walz altered the political landscape in January by abandoning his reelection bid for a third term. He chose to focus on combatting fraud in state programs instead of defending his political future. This decision followed mounting scrutiny over the management of government-funded programs. Allegations of fraud became a significant point of Republican criticism against him.
During his tenure, Walz enacted a series of Democratic initiatives. These included expanded abortion protections, free school meals, legalization of recreational marijuana, and paid family and medical leave. However, his administration faced ongoing criticism due to fraud issues in state programs, which prosecutors estimated could exceed $9 billion.
Walz’s withdrawal from the race created an opportunity for Amy Klobuchar to enter the gubernatorial contest. Her entry shifted the focus away from Walz’s record, placing one of Minnesota’s prominent statewide figures at the center of the election battle.