Lisa Demuth beats Trump-endorsed Mike Lindell in GOP primary for Minnesota governor

House Speaker Lisa Demuth won the Republican Party’s nomination for governor on Tuesday, beating President Donald Trump’s endorsed candidate, Mike Lindell, as well as Kendall Qualls — the choice of GOP state convention delegates. 

Demuth is the first Republican woman to be nominated for governor and the rare Republican to beat a Trump-endorsed candidate this year. But she’ll face an even bigger challenge in November against U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who won the Democratic-Farmer-Labor nomination against nominal competition Tuesday. Klobuchar is also the first woman nominee for governor on the DFL side.

Demuth in a statement said Minnesotans want a fresh start and a clean break from Democrats running the state.

“We can’t afford more of the same. And that’s exactly what Amy Klobuchar would be as governor. Amy Klobuchar is a career politician and 20-year Washington D.C. insider,” Demuth said. “She’s been running for office for more than 30 years. She simply cannot deliver the kind of change Minnesotans want.”

Klobuchar said Tuesday that Minnesotans need a governor who won’t bow to Trump. 

“I am running for governor to lower costs and make life affordable, expand our economy with a growth agenda and root out the fraud,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “We need a governor who is going to put Minnesotans first — not be a rubber stamp for Donald Trump or anyone else.”

Demuth, who has served as Minnesota House speaker since early 2025, pitched herself as the experienced candidate with the best shot at beating Minnesota’s most accomplished vote-getter, Klobuchar.

Demuth has the backing of a conservative billionaire, which helped finance several television and social media advertisements and statewide mailers.

Demuth back in May lost the Minnesota Republican Party’s endorsement after 10 rounds of voting. Despite her previous pledge to drop out of the race if she didn’t receive the party’s endorsement, Demuth continued her campaign, citing voting irregularities at the convention. Her gamble paid off — GOP primary voters evidently didn’t care — while calling into question the future of the GOP convention endorsement. 

Demuth was first elected to the Minnesota House in 2018 after serving on her local school board in Cold Spring — about 20 miles southwest of St. Cloud — for over a decade. 

Demuth, who served as the GOP House minority leader during the Democrats’ 2023-2024 trifecta, raised money and recruited candidates to topple the trifecta in 2024. Republicans flipped three key swing districts in 2024, bringing the House to a 67-67 tie between Republicans and Democrats and earning the respect of party insiders and donors.

After a power struggle between the two parties, she cut a deal with Democrats to become Minnesota’s first Black House speaker and first Republican woman speaker.  During a pair of legislative sessions, she used her caucus’ power of exactly half of the House to force the DFL to roll back state-subsidized health insurance for undocumented immigrant adults.

Though the tie hasn’t allowed Republicans to pass significant legislation, Republicans blocked Democratic priorities like tax increases and new spending— while propelling Demuth to emerge as the face of Republican opposition.

Demuth is arguing that a Klobuchar governorship would essentially be a Gov. Tim Walz third term, and that Klobuchar would not adequately address Minnesota’s fraud crisis in the state’s social safety net programs. 

Until Klobuchar got in the race, Minnesota Republicans began the year hoping to break their 20-year losing streak, as the fraud permeating programs under Democrats’ watch has become a top issue for many Minnesotans.

If nothing else, Demuth’s candidacy may save Republicans from a midterm wipeout, which many feared if Lindell had been the nominee. All 201 legislative seats are on the ballot, and Democrats believe Trump’s deep unpopularity; midterm headwinds against the party in the White House; and Klobuchar’s broad popularity could grant them a DFL trifecta. 

Demuth’s win also demonstrates the crumbling credibility of the Minnesota Republican Party’s endorsement. Minnesota Republicans in recent years have always backed the party-endorsed candidates — a trend bucked this year with GOP-endorsed candidate Qualls coming in a distant third to Demuth and Lindell. 

This is the first time since 1994 that a Republican candidate who lost the party’s endorsement has prevailed in their primary election. Former Gov. Arne Carlson that year lost the GOP endorsement, but went on to win the primary and reelection to another term as governor.

If elected governor, Demuth says she will cut income taxes and end taxes on Social Security for senior citizens. She also has proposed a fraud prevention plan, which includes appointing her lieutenant governor as a fraud czar who will single out fraud in state agencies. 

Restore Sanity, the new political action committee supporting Demuth’s campaign for governor, has spent nearly $2.8 million in favor of her campaign so far. It reported $156,00 in cash as of July 20. Despite the outside spending, Demuth will still be vastly outspent by Klobuchar.

As of July 20, Klobuchar’s campaign reported about $4.5 million in cash, and her campaign has raised $9.3 million since launching in January. The senior senator’s staggering cash advantage is likely to be compounded by outside spending by DFL-aligned allies like the Alliance for a Better Minnesota.