Lisa Demuth, the top Republican lawmaker in Minnesota, said on Sunday that she will run for the GOP nomination to run against Governor Tim Walz in the 2026 election.
Walz is running for a third four-year term as governor, which has never happened before. If Demuth wins, she will be the first woman to be governor of Minnesota and the first Republican to win a statewide post in almost 20 years.
The House speaker is joining a growing group of Republicans running for the primary. This group already includes Dr. Scott Jensen, the party’s contender for president in 2022, and Kendall Qualls, a business entrepreneur and Army veteran.
Kristin Robbins, a state representative and chair of the GOP-led anti-fraud committee in the legislature, is also running for the nomination.
“I think we can work together to make Minnesota a better and stronger place.” Families should be able to do well and businesses should be able to prosper in our state. “All Minnesotans need to be able to succeed, and our kids deserve a great education,” Demuth told WCCO before she officially declared her run for governor.
The Republican nominee will have a hard time beating Walz since he is well-known and has a lot of money to spend on his campaign.
Walz beat Jensen by eight points in the 2022 midterms, which were generally good for Republicans.
Demuth adds that her time in the legislature, where she has worked with Governor Walz and Democratic-Farmer-Labor politicians in a state that is mostly blue, sets her apart from other candidates.
The 2024 election left the Minnesota House with an equal number of seats for each party, with Republicans gaining three seats.
Demuth told the newspaper, “I know I’m the strongest candidate to take on Gov. Walz because I’ve been the only Republican candidate to sit across the table from him and negotiate in really tough times.”
“I respect the job that Gov. Walz does, but I know I’m the best person to run for governor because I’m willing to stop all the negative talk. I’ve shown that I can work with people from both parties in a collaborative way, and Minnesotans are ready for that,” she said.
Demuth officially started her campaign on Sunday with a harsh video message that accused Governor Walz of separating Minnesotans and exhibiting “hatred” toward people who support President Donald Trump.
“That’s enough.” I’m sick of the hate, the lies, and Tim Walz trying to divide Minnesotans to hide his mistakes. Let’s get real. Tim Walz doesn’t just disagree with us. He doesn’t like us. She stated, “He’s more interested in going after President Trump than in fixing Minnesota.”
The Republican senator had a very different image of Minnesota when she was a child than it is now, when the former vice presidential nominee is in charge.
“He spent the extra money, raised taxes, and let fraud run wild.” He went after ICE and let illegal immigrants get free health care. A campaign ad said, “That’s not leadership; that’s betrayal.”
Demuth has acknowledged she wants Trump’s support, which is different from what many Republicans in traditionally blue areas have done in the past, when they attempted to stay away from him.
“I think President Trump has done a great job keeping the promises he made during his campaign for a second term. I think it’s important to have that endorsement, so I will definitely be looking for it,” she told the local news.
No polls have yet measured Demuth’s effect on the election, but a September SurveyUSA survey showed Walz leading Jensen by only six points in a hypothetical rematch, with 13 percent of voters still not sure.