Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, the state’s top Republican lawmaker, announced Sunday that she will seek the GOP nomination to challenge Governor Tim Walz in the 2026 election.

Walz is pursuing an unprecedented third four-year term as governor. If Demuth wins, she would make history as Minnesota’s first female governor — and the first Republican to capture a statewide office in nearly two decades.

The House speaker joins an increasingly crowded Republican primary field that already includes Dr. Scott Jensen, the party’s 2022 nominee, along with business owner and Army veteran Kendall Qualls.

State Rep. Kristin Robbins, who chairs the legislature’s GOP-led anti-fraud committee, is also vying for the nomination.

“I believe that we’ll be able to build a better and a stronger Minnesota here together. Businesses need to be able to succeed in what they’re doing and to be able to grow here in our state, families should be able to thrive. Our kids deserve an excellent education, and all Minnesotans need to be able to succeed,” Demuth told local outlet WCCO before she officially announced her bid for governor.

Whoever emerges as the Republican nominee will face a steep challenge against Walz, whose strong name recognition and deep fundraising network give him a clear advantage.

Walz defeated Jensen by eight points in the 2022 midterms — a year generally favorable to Republicans.

WATCH:

🚨 BREAKING: Minnesota Republican House Speaker @LisaDemuthMN just announced her run for Governor against Tim Walz. pic.twitter.com/CLD4oYID1E

— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) November 2, 2025

Demuth says her experience in the legislature — where she has often worked with Governor Walz and Democratic-Farmer-Labor lawmakers in the heavily blue state — distinguishes her from other contenders.

The 2024 election left the Minnesota House evenly split at 67 seats per party, marking a three-seat gain for Republicans.

“I know I’m the strongest candidate to take on Gov. Walz by my track record as Speaker of the House, I have been the only one of the Republican candidates that have sat across the table from Gov. Walz and negotiated in really trying times,” Demuth told the outlet.

“I have respect for the office that Gov. Walz serves in, but I know I’m the best one to run for governor because I’m willing to get rid of all of the negative rhetoric and I’ve proven that I can work across party lines in a collaborative and bipartisan fashion, and Minnesotans are ready for that,” she added.

Demuth officially kicked off her campaign Sunday with a sharp video announcement accusing Governor Walz of dividing Minnesotans and showing “hatred” toward supporters of President Donald Trump.

“Enough. I’ve had enough of the hate and enough of the lies and enough of Tim Walz dividing Minnesotans to cover up his failures. Let’s be real. Tim Walz doesn’t just disagree with us. He hates us. He’s more focused on attacking President Trump than on fixing Minnesota,” she said.

The Republican lawmaker presented a vastly different view of Minnesota during her childhood compared to its current state under the former vice presidential nominee.

“He blew the surplus, raised taxes, let fraud run wild. He attacked ICE and gave free health care to illegal immigrants. That’s not leadership, that’s betrayal,” noted a campaign ad.

Demuth has said she plans to seek Trump’s endorsement — a break from many Republicans in traditionally blue states, who have often tried to keep their distance from him in past election cycles.

“I think President Trump has done a great job delivering on the promises that he made when he was campaigning for his second term, and I think it is important to have that endorsement, so I will definitely be seeking that,” she told the local outlet.

While no polls have yet measured Demuth’s impact on the race, a September SurveyUSA poll showed Walz leading Jensen by just six points in a hypothetical rematch, with 13 percent of voters still undecided.