Demuth names Ryan Wilson running mate in 2026 governor bid
Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth named former state auditor candidate Ryan Wilson as her running mate in her 2026 Republican gubernatorial bid; Wilson is an attorney, former CEO of a clinical‑trials firm and narrowly lost the 2022 auditor race to DFLer Julie Blaha. The Demuth–Wilson ticket will begin a statewide tour this week and is the first GOP gubernatorial campaign so far to announce a lieutenant governor pick, with both figures having been involved in high‑profile conservative legal and political efforts.
📌 Key Facts
- Lisa Demuth, 58 of Cold Spring, launched a 2026 GOP campaign for Minnesota governor in early November 2025; she is the first Black person and the first Republican woman to serve as Minnesota House Speaker, chosen under the 2025 bipartisan power‑sharing agreement following the tied House.
- Demuth frames her priorities as reducing state spending, combating fraud, tightening immigration policy, improving education outcomes and public safety; she cites a multi‑billion‑dollar spending reduction from the 2025 session (reported as about $5B–$6B) and takes credit for a law repealing MinnesotaCare eligibility for undocumented adult immigrants.
- Demuth has signaled specific policy moves from her speakership record — including agreeing to raise the state cannabis tax from 10% to 15% and backing repeal of an electricity sales tax exemption for data centers — and casts herself as the GOP candidate who negotiated with Gov. Tim Walz during the tied session.
- On Nov. 10, 2025 Demuth named former state auditor candidate Ryan Wilson as her lieutenant governor running mate — the first major GOP ticket announcement of the cycle — and the pair immediately planned a statewide tour and press events to roll out their agenda.
- Ryan Wilson is an attorney and entrepreneur from Maple Grove who founded Symbios Clinical (a clinical‑trials/medical‑device firm), worked at the CrossCastle law firm representing Republican clients, narrowly lost the 2022 state auditor race (47.13% to Julie Blaha’s 47.47%), and has led or chaired conservative groups (Freedom Club, American First Policy Institute–Minnesota).
- Wilson has been active on pro‑Trump legal and political efforts (volunteering as a 2020 poll watcher with Lawyers for Trump, helping keep Trump on Minnesota’s ballot, and participating in GOP election litigation); both he and Demuth say they would welcome a Trump endorsement and emphasize fighting fraud and standing up to Gov. Walz.
- Demuth’s campaign launched a website and a combative launch video (featuring a shotgun and the line “I’ll never bow to the radical mob… Let’s fire Tim Walz and take our state back”), signaling an appeal to conservative voters.
- Campaign process notes: Demuth says she will abide by the state GOP endorsement process and the primary is in August 2026; other earlier GOP contenders included Rep. Kristin Robbins, Scott Jensen and Kendall Qualls — Scott Jensen later exited the governor’s race in February 2026 to run for state auditor, reshaping the field.
📊 Relevant Data
Minnesota's Somali population is approximately 86,000, making up about 1.5% of the state's total population of 5.7 million, and is the largest Somali community in the United States, with many arriving as refugees due to civil war in Somalia and resettlement policies.
By the numbers: Minnesota's Somali population, according ... — KTTC
In Minnesota's 2020s fraud scandals, 82 out of 92 indicted suspects were Somali American, representing a significant overrepresentation given that Somalis comprise about 1.5% of the state's population, with fraud involving programs like Medicaid and child nutrition totaling billions.
2020s Minnesota fraud scandals - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
Somali immigrants in Minnesota face socioeconomic disparities, with poverty rates around 50% compared to 9% for the general population, which has been linked to vulnerabilities in welfare programs leading to fraud scandals.
How Misreading Somali Poverty Led Minnesota into Its Largest ... — AEI
In Minnesota, high school graduation rates vary by race: 88.5% for White students, 87.3% for Asian students, and lower for Black (around 70%) and American Indian (around 56%) students, highlighting educational disparities.
Educational Attainment: A 2023 Minnesota Measures Report — MN Measures
Minnesota's overall homicide rate in 2024 was 3 per 100,000 population, but Black residents, who are about 7% of the population, accounted for a disproportionate share of homicide victims and offenders in recent years.
2024 BCA Uniform Crime Report — MN.gov
Immigrants in Minnesota, including Somalis, have lower overall crime rates than native-born residents, with studies showing lower incarceration rates across various offenses.
Immigrants Have Lower Lifetime Incarceration Rates than Native ... — Cato Institute
📰 Source Timeline (9)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Scott Jensen has exited the 2026 Minnesota governor’s race.
- Jensen will instead run for Minnesota state auditor in 2026.
- This reshapes the GOP field for governor and adds a high‑profile Republican contender to the auditor race.
- Wilson’s 2022 auditor race specifics: 47.13% vs. Julie Blaha’s 47.47% (8,435‑vote margin); Blaha is not running in 2026.
- Wilson background: founder/former CEO of a clinical trials company; attorney for Minnesota Republicans in election lawsuits; part of the legal team in the MN Supreme Court fight over the tied House seat.
- Policy priorities emphasized: fighting state‑government fraud, improving education outcomes, tougher stance on crime/public safety; Demuth says specific proposals are forthcoming.
- Demuth’s profile: 58; first Black House speaker and first female Republican in the role, selected under a bipartisan power‑sharing agreement.
- Trump angle: Demuth and Wilson would welcome a Trump endorsement; Wilson reaffirmed his support for Trump and cited border policy impacts.
- Personal detail: Wilson lives in Maple Grove with his wife and four children.
- Process notes: Demuth will honor the party endorsement; GOP primary is in August; other GOP candidates include Scott Jensen, Kristin Robbins, and Kendall Qualls.
- Ryan Wilson is an attorney at CrossCastle, which represented House Republicans in a chamber‑control lawsuit; House GOP floor leader Harry Niska also works there.
- Wilson previously founded and served as CEO of Symbios Clinical, a Blaine‑based medical device firm.
- Wilson volunteered as a 2020 Election Day poll watcher with Lawyers for Trump.
- Demuth and Wilson will begin a statewide campaign tour later this week and plan a Monday press conference.
- Gov. Tim Walz has not yet named a lieutenant governor running mate; Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is running for U.S. Senate.
- Wilson lives in Maple Grove and has four children.
- Demuth named former state auditor candidate Ryan Wilson as her lieutenant governor running mate.
- Wilson nearly defeated DFL State Auditor Julie Blaha in 2022, losing by about 0.5 percentage points.
- Wilson is an attorney and former small‑business owner who lives in Maple Grove with his wife and five children.
- Demuth/Wilson plan to begin a statewide tour this week to share their campaign agenda.
- Demuth is the first prominent GOP gubernatorial candidate this cycle to announce a running mate; other GOP contenders (Scott Jensen, Rep. Kristin Robbins, Kendall Qualls) have not yet named picks.
- Context update: Gov. Tim Walz, seeking a third term, also needs a new running mate with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan running for U.S. Senate.
- Wilson recently served as president of the Freedom Club and chair of American First Policy Institute–Minnesota.
- He endorsed Donald Trump in 2024 and co‑hosted a high‑dollar fundraiser in Minnesota.
- Wilson was part of the legal team that kept Trump on Minnesota’s ballot and represented the Minnesota GOP in litigation over Hennepin County absentee ballot boards and a special‑election timing dispute.
- Wilson represented Demuth and House Republicans in a quorum dispute with Democrats (which Democrats ultimately won).
- Demuth’s and Wilson’s new quotes framing the ticket as targeting fraud and positioning Demuth as the only candidate who has 'stood up to Walz, stared him down, and won.'
- Personal details: Wilson lives in Maple Grove with his family and previously founded a clinical‑trials company serving the medical device industry.
- Demuth, 58, of Cold Spring, formally announced her run and framed her pitch as the only GOP candidate who has directly negotiated with Gov. Tim Walz during the 2025 tie session.
- She highlights a claimed $5 billion reduction in spending in the 2025 session and the repeal of MinnesotaCare for undocumented adult immigrants as accomplishments.
- Biographical and career details: started in public office as a 2007 ROCORI school board write-in, elected to the House in 2018, became minority leader in 2022, and was elected Speaker in 2025.
- Positions herself as potentially Minnesota’s first female governor and first Black woman/person of color to hold the office, while stressing that historic firsts are not her motivation.
- Cites the 2024 House tie as a voter signal against one-party control and references a cooperative "team House" relationship with former Speaker Melissa Hortman.
- Names current GOP field as including Rep. Kristin Robbins, Scott Jensen, and Kendall Qualls.
- Demuth’s campaign website is live and she plans a Monday morning news conference to formally announce.
- Her launch video features a shotgun and the quote: “I’ll never bow to the radical mob… Let’s fire Tim Walz and take our state back.”
- Policy record details: she agreed to raise the state cannabis tax from 10% to 15% and backed repealing the electricity sales tax exemption for data centers.
- Context on GOP field and dynamics: rivals include Rep. Kristin Robbins (who chaired Nikki Haley’s 2024 MN campaign), Scott Jensen and Kendall Qualls; party endorsement by activists will be pivotal.
- Expanded background on 2025 tied House session and speakership dispute that led to Demuth serving as speaker for the two-year term.
- Demuth’s campaign describes her as the first Black legislator and first Republican woman to serve as Minnesota House Speaker.
- Alpha News highlights 2025 budget figures: about $66B for the current biennium versus roughly $72B previously, and says the deal reduced a $6B deficit.
- Demuth claims credit for a new law revoking undocumented immigrants’ access to MinnesotaCare.
- Adds GOP field names beyond earlier reports: Jeff Johnson, Phillip Parish, and Brad Kohler.
- Direct quotes outlining her platform priorities (spending, fraud, immigration policy, education/test scores).