Newly elected and newly re-elected Republican State Representatives will meet this week to elect legislative leadership roles in their party.

Republicans were led in the House by RINO Speaker Lisa Demuth from 2025-2026 which resulted in backroom deals with Tim Walz, funding Somali fraud, Keith Ellison getting a budget increase, seating leftist Brad Tabke despite massive election fraud, taxpayer-funded abortion, massive debt for MN, Republicans voting for gun control, and the 2nd largest budget in MN history.

Demuth did not seek reelection, opting to instead lose to Amy Klobuchar for Governor by over 12%. Demuth’s exit from the legislature presents a void for the GOP House leader, which will be decided just days after the general election.

Sources have informed A4L of several individuals who have floated the idea of running for GOP Minority Leader role. This includes Representatives Harry Niska (31A), Jim Nash (48A), Walter Hudson (30A), Krista Knudsen (5A), Max Rymer (28B), and Tom Murphy (9B). 

Niska, Nash, Hudson, and Knudsen are currently in leadership, making them likely candidates. Niska is the GOP Floor Leader, Nash is the GOP Whip, and Hudson and Knudsen are Assistant Republican Leaders. The full list of 2025-2026 party leadership can be found here.

Niska and Nash would seemingly be the leading contenders for the Minority Leader role as they currently hold the two leadership positions directly beneath Demuth.

Some liberty conservatives had high hopes for Niska at the beginning of the 2025 legislative session as he challenged no-show Democrats on what establishes a quorum. Niska further tried to make a motion to compel the attendance of no-show Democrats but was blocked by corrupt Sec. of State Steve Simon and the “nonpartisan” House media staff. Some grassroots conservatives have been dissatisfied with Niska’s voting record, especially since he became a member of the GOP House leadership.

2024 CD6 delegates may remember that Niska was the only convention official that said motions to let Emmer’s opponent, conservative Chris Corey, speak. At that same convention, Walter Hudson spoke in favor of censoring Chris Corey so that Emmer could be unopposed.

Niska is likely to face an internal struggle to become Minority Leader. Sources at the Capitol told A4L that Demuth did not want Niska to be her #2 in 2024, in fact, she wanted it to be RINO Paul Torkelson. Niska was able to win the Floor Leader role following a caucus vote.

As mentioned, it appears that Niska’s main competitor for Minority Leader will be Jim Nash. As the House GOP Whip, it has been Nash’s job to tell Republicans how to vote and to pressure them to do so, as if they cannot think for themselves. It may surprise some to learn that it was Jim Nash’s bill, SF3045, that increased Keith Ellison’s budget and gave over $1.2 Million to the “Council on LGBTQIA2S+ Minnesotans”.

Nash is likely well-connected with other GOP legislators, especially with his current role as Whip. Nash may be seen as the Establishment choice for Minority leader by RINO legislators. This may mean that Nash and Niska will have a competitive contest.

The other potential candidates mentioned are more unlikely to run for, nonetheless win, the Minority Leader role.

Walter Hudson, who was once an anti-establishment conservative, has totally embraced and become a part of the RINO Establishment. Hudson has become a supporter of unconstitutional omnibus bills, RINO career politicians, and the corrupt status quo. Hudson will occasionally talk tough but never puts it into action. Look no further than his complaining about the House Rules (that he voted for), his complaining about omnibus bills (that he voted for), and his complaining about weakness in party leaders (that he voted for).

Hudson does not really want change, he just wants conservatives to think he wants change. Hudson has previously called for the MNGOP to purge all A4L supporters from the party. Aside from his social media addiction, Hudson is most known for the drunken debacle he engaged in with Elliott Engen, including the recently released bodycam footage of the incident.

The GOP Minority Leader election will tell voters what direction the party will head in. Will the party cave further to the Left or are they finally ready to fight back against out-of-control Democrats?

There are 13 newly elected Republicans in the State House from the 2026 general election. Their votes may prove to be critical in the race to decide their new Minority Leader, Floor Leader, and Whip.

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