Minnesota GOP Endorses Qualls for Governor; Demuth Stays in Race Despite Earlier Pledge

Kendall Qualls, an Army veteran and former health care executive, won the Minnesota Republican Party's endorsement for governor at the state convention held in Duluth, defeating House Speaker Lisa Demuth after ten rounds of voting. Demuth had previously pledged to drop out of the governor's race if she did not receive the party's endorsement, but announced afterward that she would continue her campaign. Demuth filed to run in the August primary with Ryan Wilson as her running mate, formalizing her decision to remain in the race despite losing the endorsement. Following the convention, questions arose among Minnesota Republicans regarding a disruption in the balloting procedures used to determine the endorsement outcome, prompting some party members to dispute the legitimacy of the process. The endorsement contest concluded after ten rounds of voting, indicating a closely contested race between Qualls and Demuth. As of the latest reporting, Demuth's campaign is proceeding toward the August primary alongside Qualls, setting up a primary contest between the two Republican candidates. The specific nature of the disruption in convention balloting procedures and its effect, if any, on the endorsement's validity remain unresolved and were not detailed consistently across reports. It is also unclear what prompted Demuth to reverse her earlier pledge to exit the race if not endorsed.