Lisa Demuth and Ryan Wilson
TLDR: Lisa Demuth has represented House District 13A, around Cold Spring in Stearns County, since 2019 and has been Speaker of the Minnesota House since early 2025. Her campaign says she is the first Black lawmaker and first Republican woman to serve as Speaker. Before the Legislature she served 11 years on the ROCORI School Board and co-owns a commercial property business with her husband, Nick. She graduated from Bloomington Kennedy High School in 1985 and won the Republican primary for governor in August 2026, with attorney Ryan Wilson as her running mate.
$104K traded
Klobuchar95%
Demuth5%
Young<1%
Lisa Demuth and Ryan WilsonRepublican- Running for
- Governor and Lieutenant Governor
- Now
- Speaker of the Minnesota House; state representative, District 13A
- Work
- Business owner; Speaker of the Minnesota House
- Lives in
- Cold Spring
- Background
- Graduated from Bloomington Kennedy High School (1985) minnpost.com
- ROCORI School Board, 11 years (first elected 2007) minnpost.com
- Minnesota House since 2019 (elected 2018), District 13A; now in her fourth term house.mn.gov
- Elected House Republican (minority) leader in 2022; became Speaker in February 2025 lisaformn.com
- Co-owns Boardwalk Business Center in Cold Spring minnpost.com
- In office
- Elected Speaker of the Minnesota House in February 2025, the first Black lawmaker and first Republican woman in the role (per her campaign) lisaformn.com
- As Speaker, negotiated the 2025 two-year state budget with DFL leaders in a tied House minnpost.com
- Led House Republicans in 2024 to a tied House, only the second in state history (per her campaign) lisaformn.com
- Website
- lisaformn.com
- [email protected]
- Raised
- $2,588,126, $618,146 on hand cfb.mn.gov
- Interviews
- KAXE 2026 Election Guide
- Also running
- Steven Young and Jane Kirby (Green), Amy Klobuchar and Ben Schierer (DFL)
Ryan Wilson, for lieutenant governorRyan Wilson is an attorney and former business owner who founded Symbios Clinical, a company that audits clinical trials for medical-device makers. He was the 2022 Republican nominee for state auditor and lost to Julie Blaha by about 8,400 votes (47.5% to 47.1%). He lives in Maple Grove and was named Demuth's running mate in November 2025.
- Bachelor's degree and MBA, University of Minnesota; J.D., Mitchell Hamline School of Law ballotpedia.org
- Founded Symbios Clinical; served on the Blaine Planning Commission ballotpedia.org
- 2022 Republican nominee for state auditor; lost 47.5%–47.1% ballotpedia.org
- Recently served as an attorney for the Minnesota Republican Party kstp.com
Q: Where does Demuth stand on taxes and cost of living?
A: Would cut income taxes by reducing the lowest two brackets, roll back car tab fees, end state taxes on Social Security benefits, and require surplus dollars to be returned to taxpayers.
lisaformn.comQ: Where does Demuth stand on fraud?
A: Would "fire those responsible for the fraud" and work with the Legislature to create a nonpartisan Office of Inspector General with power to root out fraud across government.
kaxe.orgQ: Where does Demuth stand on public safety?
A: Would invest in public safety for cities and counties and strengthen sentences for repeat offenders.
lisaformn.comQ: Where does Demuth stand on immigration enforcement?
A: Says Minnesota "should be honoring requests by the federal government to hold criminals that are here illegally that are already in our jails" so they can be detained by ICE "in an orderly and safe manner."
fox9.comQ: Where does Demuth stand on health care?
A: Has not released a health care platform; her campaign says she will "work to support rural hospitals" and "make sure healthcare dollars only go to those who need it," and cites her work as Speaker to continue the state's reinsurance program.
kttc.comQ: Where does Demuth stand on education?
A: Wants schools to focus on "academic excellence and reading proficiency" and to keep "woke gender and racial ideology out of our classrooms."
lisaformn.comQ: Where does Demuth stand on energy?
A: Calls for an "all-of-the-above" approach, repealing Minnesota's ban on new nuclear power and reforming energy mandates she says raise bills.
lisaformn.comQ: Where does Demuth stand on jobs and permits?
A: Promises a day-one executive order to cut permitting timelines by at least 25%; wants a business environment that is "pro-business, not anti-business."
lisaformn.com
