Minnesota House Speaker Wins GOP Primary

Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth has secured her spot as the Republican candidate for governor. She defeated Mike Lindell, known for founding MyPillow and his loyalty to former President Trump. The Associated Press officially called the race in Demuth’s favor.

Demuth, 59, leads a closely divided state House, with Republicans and Democrats almost evenly split. Throughout her campaign, she emphasized her ability to collaborate across party lines. In the upcoming fall election, she will face Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who easily secured her party’s nomination.

Lindell, who received Trump’s endorsement, was a major point of both positive and negative interest in the primary. Some GOP leaders questioned Lindell’s electability due to his business history and residency. His vocal support of Trump’s false election denial claims concerning the 2020 election also drew concerns. Many Republicans feared his ties to Trump might damage his prospects in the general election, as Trump did not win Minnesota in his presidential runs.

Demuth had a strong fundraising lead, which played a significant role in her primary victory. She ran on her experience working with Democratic Governor Tim Walz in budget negotiations to uphold conservative values. An important part of her campaign focuses on eliminating fraud in state government programs.

Governor Walz, deciding not to run for a third term, expressed his commitment to addressing fraud within state programs during his remaining time in office.