Lisa Demuth is the Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives (2025-present) and the state's highest-ranking Republican. She was first elected to the House in 2018 and became GOP minority leader in 2022 after Republicans failed to flip the chamber. On February 6, 2025, Demuth became the first Black person to serve as Speaker of the Minnesota House. She announced her gubernatorial campaign on November 2, 2025, and won the Republican straw poll at the February 2026 caucus with 32% of the vote. She selected attorney Ryan Wilson as her running mate.
Demuth was born February 10, 1967, in Paynesville, Minnesota. She is biracial (Black father, white mother) and experienced racism during childhood. Before her House service, she co-owned commercial property and served on her local school board in Cold Spring. If elected governor, she would be Minnesota's first Black governor and first female governor. She is married to Nick and works with him managing commercial property.