Candidates for governor recently spoke at an event in Morgan, Minnesota. Among them were Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who won the Democratic primary, and Republican State House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who claimed victory in the Republican primary. Also present were Republican business executives Mike Lindell and Kendall Qualls.
Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth secured the Republican primary for governor, defeating MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, according to the Associated Press. Demuth, 59, leads a state House nearly evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. In her campaign, she emphasized her skill in working across party lines.
Demuth will now face Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who convincingly won her primary, in the fall election. Demuth’s primary opponents included Lindell, who received an endorsement from the president last month, and Qualls, favored by the state Republican Party in May.
Demuth claims she is the most prepared Republican to break a more than 20-year losing streak for her party in gubernatorial races. Her primary campaign messaging focused on cooperation and anti-fraud efforts.
Much attention during the primary centered on Lindell. Some state Republican leaders questioned his electability, residency, and business history. Lindell had supported Trump’s false claims on the 2020 election and attempted to aid the president in overturning the vote. His association with Trump worried Republican leaders about potential impacts in the general election. Minnesota rejected Trump in his presidential campaigns.
Demuth enjoyed a substantial fundraising lead over Lindell. She campaigned on a theme of clashing with Democratic Gov. Tim Walz in state budget talks to emphasize conservative priorities. Demuth has vowed to concentrate her campaign efforts on combating fraud within state programs. Meanwhile, Walz decided against pursuing a third term, choosing to focus on addressing fraud within state programs during his remaining tenure.
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