The top Republican in Minnesota state government, House Speaker Lisa Demuth, holds a news conference at the State Capitol in St. Paul on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, to kick off her campaign for governor against Democratic Gov. Tim Walz. (AP Photo/Steve Karnowski)

Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) has officially launched a bid in the state’s 2026 gubernatorial election, possibly setting up a general election contest with incumbent Gov. Tim Walz (DFL).

Demuth announced her candidacy in a campaign video released last Sunday, where she outlined her top priorities, including lowering taxes and combating fraud. She also attacked Walz on several issues, falsely accusing him of “attacking ICE” and prioritizing “pleasing the far left.”

“He hates us,” Demuth said in the ad.

Demuth’s combative tenure as speaker

Demuth, 58, has served in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2019. After a power struggle with House Democrats last January, Demuth was elected speaker on Feb. 5 in a power sharing agreement.

Under a tightly divided state government, Demuth clashed with the DFL on state budget negotiations and Walz’s calls for a special session to address gun violence. Walz and the DFL have expressed the need to pass more gun control measures after the school shooting at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis on Aug. 27. However, Demuth and her Republican colleagues have strongly opposed a special session to debate many of the proposed Democratic measures, including banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

During her time as a state representative, Demuth has also opposed providing free school meals, protecting reproductive rights and lowering prescription drug prices. 

In a press release, DFL Chair Richard Carlbom said Demuth would prioritize “hedge funds over health care.”

“The CEOs and right-wing corporate lobbyists picked Lisa Demuth because they know she’ll protect hedge funds over health care,” Carlbom said. “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. Lisa Demuth is the corporate candidate in this race. If Lisa Demuth and the billionaires win, Minnesotans lose.”

As Walz seeks his third consecutive term as governor, Demuth joins a crowded field of Republican challengers, including former state Rep. Kristin Robbins (R-Maple Grove) and former state Sen. Scott Jensen, who lost to Walz in 2022.