Demuth ties politics to childhood struggles

Lisa Demuth credits her political career to specific hardships she faced during her childhood in 1960s Minnesota. The candidate for governor believes these early experiences defined her path to the top of the state government.

Demuth, a Republican from Cold Spring, recalls being teased by peers about her biracial heritage. That social friction led her family to relocate from a small town to the city. Later, her parents divorced, leaving her mother to rely on food stamps for support.

She describes how she used those challenges as fuel to climb the political ladder. Demuth served as a school board member before becoming a state lawmaker. She eventually rose to the position of speaker of the Minnesota House.

"I never quite fit in where people thought I should be," Demuth said. "And so that's never held me back."

Voters will decide her fate in the election scheduled for Nov. 3. If she wins, she will become the first woman and the first person of color to serve as governor of Minnesota.