Republican candidates talk fraud, state economy in gubernatorial primary debate

Three Republican candidates for Minnesota governor discussed fraud, the state economy, and many other topics at a GOP primary debate Wednesday night. Hosted by Republicans in Minnesota’s Second Congressional District, the debate was streamed by Alpha News.

Only candidates who pledged to abide by the Republican Party’s endorsement for governor were invited to the debate. As such, House Speaker Lisa Demuth, former CEO Patrick Knight, and businessman Kendall Qualls were the only gubernatorial candidates who participated.

All three candidates answered questions while seated onstage at an Apple Valley entertainment center.

In her opening statement, Demuth talked about her upbringing as a biracial girl in Minnesota. She also spoke about her family and her rise in local politics.

On policy, Demuth focused on her record as the House speaker. She highlighted her successful effort to remove illegal alien adults from MinnesotaCare and her work to eliminate state taxes on tips and overtime. She also discussed the need to keep boys out of girls’ sports.

As governor, Demuth said she would use the line-item veto and appoint agency commissioners who work collaboratively instead of separately. She repeatedly spoke about her support for Second Amendment rights and told the crowd she has a proven ability to unify Republicans.

Demuth also discussed her efforts to combat fraud. She talked about how she created the Fraud and Agency Oversight Committee in the Minnesota House of Representatives, carried legislation to stop fraud, and added staff to the Office of the Legislative Auditor.

During the debate, Qualls took several veiled swipes at Demuth, saying elected Republicans have not done enough to fix the problems facing Minnesota. He repeatedly emphasized the need for Republicans to pick a candidate like himself who comes from outside the political system.

At the close of the debate, Qualls unveiled a campaign platform he dubbed “The Contract with Minnesota,” an homage to New Gingrich’s 1994 Contract with America.

In this platform, Qualls said he would cut taxes, “launch random audits” of state agencies, require voter ID, restore Minnesota’s previous state flag, refuse to sign “massive omnibus bills,” prohibit sanctuary policies, and establish term limits for elected officials.

Qualls guaranteed that he would enact the “Contract with Minnesota” in the first two years of his administration.

Meanwhile, Knight was arguably the most well-spoken candidate of the evening, delivering clear answers that focused on the need to jump-start Minnesota’s economy. He spoke often about his time as a CEO and warned that Minnesota has become uncompetitive and driven businesses away.

Knight said the best way to improve Minnesota healthcare is to create better jobs that offer good healthcare. He also spoke about the declining education standards in public schools and said Minnesota needs to prioritize “mastery” over “participation” in classrooms.

Discussing the 40% increase in Minnesota’s state budget, Knight said he wants to get spending under control and state government needs to live within its means. He noted that more spending does not mean better results, and Minnesota needs to prioritize results.

On fraud, Knight said he is against creating a statewide office of the inspector general (OIG) to investigate fraud. He said Minnesota does not need “more government.” Instead, Knight said Minnesota “just need[s] a strong governor that enforces the law.”

While Wednesday night’s debate featured Demuth, Knight, and Qualls, the field of Republican gubernatorial candidates also includes State Rep. Peggy Bennett, MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, retired Naval intelligence officer Phillip Parish, and State Rep. Kristin Robbins.

Later this year, Republicans will endorse a candidate for governor at their state convention in Duluth. That endorsement, while impactful, does not decide who the Republican nominee will be. Ultimately, the Aug. 11 state primary election will decide who gets the GOP nomination.

A Republican has not won the Minnesota governorship since 2006 when Gov. Tim Pawlenty secured reelection by less than one point.

Luke Sprinkel

Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.