House Speaker Lisa Demuth, the Republican nominee for Minnesota governor, declined to say Monday whether she would pardon convicted murderer Derek Chauvin if she’s elected governor. Demuth convened a Capitol press conference on Oct. 26, 2026, to again criticize Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s response to fraud in Minnesota’s social safety net programs, arguing that Klobuchar’s claim of working to hire more prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office was not enough.
Demuth was asked if she is open to voting in favor of clemency for Chauvin, who was convicted in 2021 of murdering George Floyd. “I have never stated that,” Demuth replied. When asked again about a Chauvin pardon, Demuth interrupted the reporter and told them to ask Klobuchar more questions about Minnesota’s fraud scandal and what she did to address it.
Ryan Wilson, Demuth’s running mate, changed the subject to Gov. Tim Walz’s “yes” vote earlier this year on a pardon for Tou Lue Vang, who was convicted in 2006 of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl. Wilson stated, “The speaker, from day one, said no child rapist would be pardoned under her watch. Hold Amy Klobuchar to her words. Is she taking off the table any child rapist ever being pardoned ever? The speaker has. So I think that’s what matters.”
Minnesota’s governor, attorney general, and chief justice of the Supreme Court sit on a pardon board, which meets twice a year to make determinations on pardon and commutation applications. If two of the three members vote in favor of a pardon – one of whom must be the governor – the pardon will be granted. If the governor votes no or is the only member to vote yes, then the application is denied.
At the Minnesota Republican Party’s statewide convention back in May, delegates held a moment of silence for Chauvin, even though Chauvin is still alive. Reporters asked Demuth days after the convention whether she supported the moment of silence or would vote to pardon Chauvin if elected governor. She said moments of silence are typically reserved for fallen police officers, but she didn’t rule out the possibility of a pardon. “There’s a lot that goes into any type of decision,” Demuth said.
