Minnesota GOP Primary: Lisa Demuth Wins, Sets Up Showdown with Klobuchar

Minnesota state House Speaker Lisa Demuth secured victory in the Republican primary for governor, according to projections by NBC News. She defeated Mike Lindell, a known ally of former President Donald Trump. This win sets Demuth against Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in the general election.

Demuth’s win is considered an upset over Lindell, the founder of MyPillow and a proponent of election conspiracy theories. Despite leading in public polls before Election Day and receiving Trump’s endorsement, Lindell faced criticism within his party. The Minnesota Republican Party chairman questioned his residency, which impacted his campaign in the final weeks.

Lindell has encountered legal issues since 2020 after supporting Trump’s debunked election theories in the election that President Joe Biden won.

During a Minnesota Farmfest forum, Klobuchar shared the stage with three Republican candidates for governor. She labeled them as “a rubber stamp of Donald Trump.”

Demuth and other Republicans, including Trump, criticized Democrats in Minnesota over two significant fraud scandals involving Medicaid and pandemic aid. Allegations included the theft of hundreds of millions intended for welfare programs.

At the farm event, Demuth attributed the fraud to “incompetent Democrat control.” She highlighted her role in establishing the Fraud Prevention Agency Oversight Committee while leading the state House.

Democratic Governor Tim Walz chose not to pursue a third term, citing allegations related to these fraud cases. This decision preceded Klobuchar’s campaign launch. Klobuchar is among four senators running for governor this year.

Republicans face a challenge in overcoming Minnesota’s political trends in the upcoming election. In the latest presidential race, then-Vice President Kamala Harris won the state by approximately 4 percentage points, with Walz as her running mate.