Demuth Tops Lindell for Minnesota GOP Governor Nomination

Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth claimed the Republican nomination for governor on Tuesday, defeating MyPillow founder Mike Lindell in a contest that exposed fractures within the party over President Donald Trump's influence. Demuth secured 43.6 percent of the vote compared with Lindell's 32.3 percent, according to results reported across multiple outlets, while a third candidate backed by the state party also fell short.

Trump had endorsed Lindell ahead of the primary, calling him a hard-working patriot who would restore election integrity and fix what the president described as one of the nation's most incompetent governorships under Democrat Tim Walz. Lindell leaned into the support, telling supporters he could work directly with the White House. Yet the endorsement failed to carry the day, adding to a mixed record for Trump-backed candidates elsewhere that night.

Demuth, who did not receive the state party's endorsement or Trump's backing, positioned her campaign around delivering change at the state level without the baggage of national controversies. In her victory statement she pledged to end fraud, restore common sense governance and make Minnesota work for families and businesses. The outcome leaves her facing Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in November, a matchup that will test whether Republicans can break a drought that dates to Tim Pawlenty's 2006 win.

On the Democratic side, Klobuchar cruised to her party's nomination with nearly 90 percent of the vote. She has centered her bid on addressing the state's fraud problems while distancing herself from Walz, who opted not to seek a third term. Klobuchar's strong fundraising and consistent statewide victories give her a clear edge heading into the general election.

The Republican primary highlighted competing visions inside the party. Lindell rose to prominence pushing claims about the 2020 election, while Demuth built her profile through legislative leadership. Trump's approval rating sits at a second-term low, and the results in Minnesota suggest his sway remains uneven even among primary voters who have backed him in the past. Demuth now carries the GOP banner into a state that has resisted Republican presidential candidates in each of Trump's three runs.