Mike Lindell’s gubernatorial running mate slammed a 2020 vote Lisa Demuth took in favor of a resolution that declared racism “a public health crisis.” The political attack comes just days after Demuth was critical of Lindell’s plan to give illegal aliens work visas.
“Lisa Demuth voted YEA on House Resolution 1 — the resolution declaring racism a public health crisis,” Phillip Parrish wrote in a social media post. “Final tally: 82-40. The official roll call lists her name among those voting in the affirmative. This is not opinion.”
Parrish, who was chosen to be Lindell’s running mate in June, wrote a lengthy social media post about Demuth’s vote on Sunday. Demuth, the speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, is competing against Lindell for the GOP nomination for governor.
Kendall Qualls, a former business executive, is also seeking the nomination. Qualls is the Republican-endorsed candidate in the race.
The resolution Parrish referenced was passed by the Minnesota House in July of 2020, just weeks after the death of George Floyd and the chaos that ensued. At that time, Demuth was a rank-and-file member of the House Republican Caucus.
Among other things, the resolution said “race is a social construct with no biological basis,” “racism is embedded in the foundation of America, beginning with chattel slavery in 1619,” and “more than 100 studies have linked racism to worse health outcomes.”
Additionally, the resolution said “racism is a public health crisis affecting our entire state and a comprehensive and intersectional approach is necessary to address the crisis” and medical associations recognize that “failure to address racism is an urgent public health issue.”
In turn, the House resolution declared racism a “public health crisis” and encouraged the governor and Minnesota Senate to adopt similar resolutions. Demuth, who is black, voted for the House resolution.
The resolution passed 82-40. Several Republicans, such as Barb Haley, Greg Boe, and Tony Jurgens, joined Demuth and House Democrats in voting for the resolution. Most of the House GOP, along with its then-leader Kurt Daudt, voted against the resolution.
Parrish slammed the resolution in his statement, saying, “This was not a simple statement against individual prejudice. It was the formal institutional endorsement of systemic-racism theory.”
“Minnesota does not need more race-essentialist policy lenses,” he added. “Minnesota needs a governor who will expose the networks looting this state, not one who helped normalize the ideological tools those networks used to expand power.”
Alpha News reached out to Demuth’s campaign for this story but did not hear back prior to a deadline.
The race for the Republican nomination for Minnesota governor has grown heated in recent days. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump endorsed Lindell’s campaign for governor which effectively made the MyPillow mogul the frontrunner for the nomination.
However, just days after that endorsement, Lindell unveiled an immigration plan that would give permanent work visas to illegal aliens who have not committed a gross misdemeanor or felony. Lindell admitted he could not implement the plan as governor.
Demuth and Qualls were among many Republicans throughout the country who criticized Lindell’s plan. Many Republicans described it as “amnesty.” Lindell has stood by his plan and said he has never supported amnesty and will never support amnesty.
Despite criticism from his fellow Republicans, Lindell is still the odds-on favorite to win the GOP nomination for Minnesota governor. As of Wednesday afternoon, betting markets Kalshi and Polymarket both had Lindell’s chance of winning the GOP nomination at more than 60%.
Meanwhile, Kalshi and Polymarket had Demuth in the 30s. Both betting markets had Qualls at less than 5%.
The Republican nominee for Minnesota governor will be chosen by voters during the state’s Aug. 11 primary election. Early voting is currently underway. Whichever GOP candidate emerges victorious is poised to face DFL U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar in the general election.
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.
