COLD SPRING, Minn. (KFGO/WCCO-TV) – House Speaker Lisa Demuth, the top Republican in the Minnesota Legislature, announced her campaign Sunday for the GOP nomination for governor to challenge incumbent Democrat Gov. Tim Walz.
Walz is seeking what would be an unprecedented third four-year term in the state. But if she were to triumph next fall, Demuth would make history of her own by becoming the first woman and first person of color to be governor in a state where Republicans have not won statewide office in nearly 20 years.
First, she will need to successfully make her case to her party to choose her from a crowded field that includes the 2022 GOP nominee Dr. Scott Jensen, U.S. Army veteran and business owner Kendall Qualls and Rep. Kristin Robbins, chair of the House anti-fraud committee.
“I believe that we’ll be able to build a better and a stronger Minnesota here together. Businesses need to be able to succeed in what they’re doing and to be able to grow here in our state, families should be able to thrive. Our kids deserve an excellent education, and all Minnesotans need to be able to succeed,” Demuth said before launching her campaign.
She will have to prove to voters she is right for the job and overcome some big hurdles: 2026 is a midterm year that traditionally means political headwinds for the party that’s in power in Washington and Walz, who was the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2024, has become a fundraising powerhouse and is a well-known incumbent.
Demuth believes her work in the Legislature, most recently as House Speaker presiding over a tied chamber in a divided government, gives her an edge and appeals to a broad coalition of voters.
She worked with Walz and Democratic leaders in the Legislature to find a compromise and pass a two-year state budget earlier this year.
“I know I’m the strongest candidate to take on Gov. Walz by my track record as Speaker of the House, I have been the only one of the Republican candidates that have sat across the table from Gov. Walz and negotiated in really trying times,” Demuth said. “I have respect for the office that Gov. Walz serves in, but I know I’m the best one to run for governor because I’m willing to get rid of all of the negative rhetoric and I’ve proven that I can work across party lines in a collaborative and bipartisan fashion, and Minnesotans are ready for that.”
Demuth announced her campaign in a video online, criticizing Walz as “dividing Minnesotans to cover up his failures and” and claiming that he “hates us.”
In a statement, Democratic Party Chair Richard Carlbom criticized her record in the Legislature, like voting against policies like paid family leave and free school meals for children. He said she would “protect hedge funds over health care.”
“As Speaker, she’s shown Minnesota exactly what she’ll prioritize. She’ll cut taxes for massive corporations while cutting funding for schools and seniors. She’ll protect tax loopholes for her donors while opposing relief for workers and middle-class families,” Carlborn said. “Lisa Demuth is the corporate candidate in this race. If Lisa Demuth and the billionaires win, Minnesotans lose.”
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