LD
Lisa Demuth
Republican · Governor, Minnesota
2026 General Election
Lisa Demuth has served in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2015 and currently serves as House Minority Leader, a role she has used to build her profile as the leading voice for Minnesota Republicans. From Cold Spring in central Minnesota, she has a background in insurance and small business and has focused her legislative work on fiscal restraint, education choice, and opposing what she describes as the Walz administration's overreach. She is the Republican candidate for governor in 2026.
Views on the Issues
Gov. Demuth’s stated positions alongside Democratic and Republican party platforms. Sources cited below each position. MyPolity does not editorialize.
Democratic Platform
Lisa Demuth
Republican Platform
Economy & Taxes
Democratic Platform
Democrats support progressive taxation, with higher rates on top earners and corporations to fund public investment. The party favors raising the minimum wage, strengthening unions, and expanding worker protections. Democrats generally support government investment in infrastructure, education, and social programs as drivers of broad economic growth.Lisa Demuth
Demuth supports lower taxes, reduced regulation, and fiscal restraint as the path to a competitive Minnesota economy. She has been a consistent voice in the legislature opposing large state spending packages and tax increases, arguing that Minnesota's tax burden has driven businesses and residents to lower-tax neighboring states. She backs reducing the state income tax and streamlining business regulations.Republican Platform
Republicans favor lower taxes across income levels, with particular emphasis on cutting corporate and capital gains taxes to stimulate investment and job creation. The party supports deregulation, reduced government spending, and free market solutions over federal programs as the primary engine of prosperity.Healthcare
Democratic Platform
Democrats support expanding access to affordable healthcare, including protecting the Affordable Care Act and moving toward a public option or expanded Medicare coverage. The party broadly favors government negotiation of prescription drug prices and opposes removing protections for pre-existing conditions.Lisa Demuth
Demuth supports market-based healthcare approaches that expand consumer choice and competition. She opposes government healthcare mandates and has been critical of the expansion of government-run health programs, instead backing health savings accounts and insurance market reforms that increase options for Minnesotans. She supports rural healthcare access as a priority given the state's geography.Republican Platform
Republicans have generally sought to repeal or significantly reform the Affordable Care Act, favoring market-based solutions. The party supports expanding health savings accounts, increasing competition among insurers across state lines, and reducing federal mandates on coverage requirements.Immigration
Democratic Platform
Democrats generally support pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, including DACA recipients, and favor comprehensive immigration reform. The party supports increased resources for legal immigration processing and a humanitarian approach to asylum seekers at the border.Lisa Demuth
Demuth supports strong immigration enforcement and has backed legislation in the Minnesota House opposing policies she argues benefit undocumented immigrants at taxpayers' expense. She supports federal border security measures and cooperation between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.Republican Platform
Republicans prioritize border security and strict enforcement of existing immigration law. The party broadly supports completing physical border barriers, ending policies they view as incentivizing illegal entry, and reforming legal immigration to favor applicants with marketable skills.Education
Democratic Platform
Democrats favor robust federal investment in public K-12 education and higher education, along with policies to reduce or eliminate student loan debt. The party generally opposes using public funds for private school vouchers and supports universal pre-K and affordable childcare.Lisa Demuth
Demuth is a strong advocate for school choice, including education savings accounts and expanded charter school options. She has criticized the Walz administration's education policies and opposed changes to curriculum standards she argues undermine parental rights and academic achievement. She supports vocational education and workforce training as an equal path to the college-for-all approach.Republican Platform
Republicans support school choice, including voucher programs for private and religious schools, and local control over curriculum decisions. The party generally opposes federal education mandates and broadly supports parental rights in schooling. Many Republicans oppose student loan forgiveness as unfair to borrowers who repaid their loans.Gun Policy
Democratic Platform
Democrats broadly support stricter gun safety measures, including universal background checks, red flag laws, and restrictions on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. The party frames these regulations as consistent with the Second Amendment and necessary to reduce mass shootings.Lisa Demuth
Demuth is a strong Second Amendment supporter and has opposed gun safety legislation in the Minnesota House, including red flag law proposals and expanded background check measures she argues burden law-abiding gun owners without reducing criminal access to firearms. She supports existing enforcement of gun laws rather than new restrictions.Republican Platform
Republicans strongly defend Second Amendment rights and generally oppose new gun control legislation, arguing that existing laws should be enforced more effectively. The party emphasizes mental health intervention, the right to self-defense, and opposes what they view as infringement on law-abiding gun owners.Climate & Energy
Democratic Platform
Democrats view climate change as an urgent crisis requiring immediate government action. The party supports transitioning to clean energy through federal investment and regulation, reducing carbon emissions across the economy, and meeting international climate commitments. Democrats generally oppose expanding fossil fuel development on public lands.Lisa Demuth
Demuth has opposed aggressive state clean energy mandates, arguing they raise energy costs for Minnesota families and businesses without meaningfully addressing global emissions. She supports an all-of-the-above energy policy that includes natural gas and other reliable energy sources alongside renewables, and has been critical of mandates requiring Minnesota to reach 100 percent clean energy by 2040.Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize American energy independence through domestic production of oil, gas, and coal alongside renewable development. Many in the party are skeptical of aggressive climate regulations they argue harm economic growth and jobs. Republicans generally prefer market-based energy solutions over government mandates and oppose restrictions that raise energy costs for families.Foreign Policy
Democratic Platform
Democrats generally support a multilateral approach to foreign policy, emphasizing alliances, international institutions, and diplomacy as the first line of engagement. The party broadly supports maintaining NATO commitments, providing aid to democratic allies, and engaging international bodies to address shared challenges.Lisa Demuth
Demuth supports a strong U.S. military and backs U.S. allies. She has raised questions about the scale of foreign aid spending while supporting America's core alliance commitments. As a governor candidate she engages foreign policy primarily through Minnesota's significant agricultural export economy and defense manufacturing sector.Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize American sovereignty, a strong military as a deterrent, and bilateral relationships over multilateral institutions. The party broadly supports robust defense spending and is skeptical of international agreements they view as constraining American action or requiring open-ended foreign commitments.Social Security
Democratic Platform
Democrats oppose cuts to Social Security or Medicare benefits and support expanding both programs. The party generally favors raising the Social Security payroll tax cap on high earners to ensure long-term solvency and opposes any form of privatization.Lisa Demuth
Demuth supports protecting Social Security and Medicare benefits that current and near-retirees have earned. She opposes benefit cuts and backs ensuring long-term program solvency through economic growth and fiscal discipline rather than tax increases.Republican Platform
Republicans support reforming Social Security and Medicare to ensure long-term fiscal solvency, which some in the party argue requires adjusting benefits or eligibility ages. The party opposes tax increases to fund the programs and some members have supported personal investment account options.Criminal Justice
Democratic Platform
Democrats broadly support criminal justice reform, including reducing mandatory minimum sentences, addressing racial disparities in policing and incarceration, and investing in community-based alternatives. The party generally supports police accountability measures and evidence-based approaches to reducing recidivism.Lisa Demuth
Demuth has been a vocal critic of criminal justice policies she argues have contributed to rising crime rates in Minnesota. She opposes what she describes as anti-police rhetoric and backs increased resources for law enforcement. She supports stronger sentencing for violent offenders and has been critical of bail reform measures that she argues return dangerous offenders to the street.Republican Platform
Republicans emphasize law and order, strong support for law enforcement, and tough penalties for crime. The party generally opposes reducing mandatory minimum sentences for violent offenses and supports prosecutors pursuing strong sentences. Republicans broadly oppose policies they view as undermining police authority or creating leniency for criminals.About these profiles. Party platform positions are drawn from the 2024 Democratic and Republican national platforms. Candidate positions are sourced from official statements, voting records, and campaign websites. MyPolity does not editorialize or endorse any candidate.