Minnesota's Republican Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth (Cold Spring) is detailing how she's balancing her legislative duties and a bid for the Minnesota governor's office in 2026.
Speaker Demuth, talking to Vineeta Sawkar on the WCCO Morning News, says right now she's looking at tackling big picture issues.
That includes taking a stance against a "bailout" for local business following the federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota, something proposed by Gov. Tim Walz. That proposal comes as the state faces a deficit, Demuth explains.
"You watched our state leaders, whether it's a mayor or a governor or other elected officials, telling people to boycott businesses on a Friday in January," Demuth said. "Those are choices people make. So to look at a state level bailout for a choice that some businesses made, or a choice that leaders made makes it very difficult."
Meanwhile, she says her campaign team will continue to tour the state to pitch a 'North Star Comeback' agenda, which includes priorities like new safety initiatives, reducing state mandates on schools, and investigating property taxes which have been on the rise across the state.
Demuth said she is kicking off the year with a focus on lowering living costs for Minnesotans.
"We are looking for affordability ways, to bring prices down to make things a little bit more affordable," Demuth adds. "One of the things that House Republicans are focused on is establishing a commission to look into why our property taxes are so high. They've really gone up across the state and how could we best help people. And maybe help our local governments, not just handing out money but looking at ways to save some of the mandates that have been put on every business. Also, apply to our counties and our cities so think paid family medical leave, earn sick and save time that drives the cost up on everything."
Demuth also highlighted a bipartisan push to establish an independent Office of Inspector General to better safeguard state funds against fraud.
She says the upcoming February 27 financial forecast will help determine the state's true budget capacity for these initiatives.
"That is what is also going to determine how we do our legislative work this year," said the Speaker.
Demuth running for governor while leading an evenly-split House
67-67 are the numbers. That's how many Republicans and Democrats make up the Minnesota House, same as it was in 2025 as they struggled to get a budget to the finish line.
2026 comes with differing priorities for both sides of the aisle, but one place they need to find common ground are on bonding bills, and a tax bill.
There's a lame duck governor, with Walz deciding not to run for a third term. And every single one of the 201 legislative seats are also on the ballot come November. This is a campaign year, with much work to be done in St. Paul.
Demuth says it won't be an issue for her to balance both the work in the House, and the campaign trail, and says she is planning to lean on her running mate, Ryan Wilson. Wilson is an attorney who narrowly lost the 2022 state auditor race.
"I have no problem balancing it," Demuth says. "I am fully focused on my role as Speaker, as I have been while I have been campaigning. My running mate is Ryan Wilson, and he will be out and about across the state while I'm in session. Obviously, I have the weekends and other times, but he will be there. That's part of the reason picking a very strong running mate early on was important."
Demuth's oppenent changes but her message remains the same
For the last half of 2025, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was planning to run for what would have been an unprecedented third term in office. That changed on January 5, when Walz announced he was dropping out of the race, saying, "I’m passing on the race with zero sadness and zero regret."
Then, on January 29, a rumor became reality when Minnesota Senior U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar declared she was running for governor. Easily the most populous politician in the state, Klobuchar presents a stiff challenge to the GOP after winning four terms in Washington with relatively easy elections.
Republicans in the state haven't won a statewide race since Tim Pawlenty's second term as governor in 2006. To break that streak, Demuth or whoever wins the Republican primary will have to overcome Klobuchar as well.
"As far as my opponent, whoever that might be in November, I'm not worried about that," Demuth said Wednesday. "Minnesotans have clearly said that they need something different. You watched the race legislatively. On the ticket in 2024 was the House, and we took a tie. That was the message that Minnesota voters were saying, you know, one party, Democrat control was too much. The direction our state is going financially, educationally, and in other ways is not what we want. So we know voters are motivated."
Demuth says electing Klobuchar instead of Walz would just be more of the same.
"Senator Klobuchar has supported everything that Governor Walz has done and not stood up to protect our federal tax dollars from fraud," she adds. "And so it would be more of the same and Minnesotans want to change."
Of course, Democrats in the state say Demuth is more of the same when it comes to the policies of the Trump administration, which recent polling has shown to be losing popularity both nationally and in Minnesota. Speaker Demuth, when asked about those national policies, answered that leaning into certain things the Trump administration has implemented is her strategy.
"Conforming our state to those federal tax relief things on a state level, no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, the education credit that's out there for our kids that we need to opt-in at no cost to the state," she said. "There have been excellent things done at the federal level, including securing our borders and others. And so the way that I have led, in my time in the legislature, is how I plan to continue leading with practical ways of thinking about things. Making sure Minnesota is a business-friendly state rather than doing things that push businesses out potentially. Making sure our kids have the excellent education that they deserve. So it's a very practical way and that resonates with most Minnesotans."
Before Demuth gets a chance to take on Klobuchar in the general election, she has to survive what is still a tight primary for the Republican nomination. It's become mostly a two-person race, with local businessman Kendall Qualls and Demuth leading the way.
Earlier in February, Walz's 2022 opponent, Dr. Scott Jensen, dropped out of the race after a disappointing fourth place finish in a straw poll on caucus night in Minnesota. That straw poll was won by Demuth, with Qualls finishing second.
Local attorney Chris Madel also dropped out of the race, saying in January he could not align himself with the national Republicans "retribution" in Minnesota, citing the ICE crackdown in the state. Madel also added that he didn't think in this current climate, a Republican could "win in Minnesota."
MyPillow founder and CEO Mike Lindell has been a quite distant third in the race up until this point. State Rep. Peggy Bennett, former mixed martial arts fighter Brad Kohler, and CEO of Good Sense Foods Patrick Knight also remain in the race.
There is still a long road ahead for the Republican candidates, with Minnesota's GOP primary taking place August 11.