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MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Powerful Lobbyist’s Volunteer Role in Lisa Demuth Campaign Raises Questions About Access and Influence
SAINT PAUL, MN (September 27, 2026). Ben Golnik advises the Republican gubernatorial nominee while representing pharmaceutical, tobacco and gambling-related interests at the Minnesota Capitol.
A prominent Minnesota lobbyist is serving as an unpaid adviser to Republican gubernatorial nominee and House Speaker Lisa Demuth, raising questions about the boundary between campaign volunteering and access to a potential administration.
Ben Golnik has appeared beside Demuth during pivotal moments in her campaign, including the Republican state convention and the primary-election count. Campaign-finance reports reviewed by the Minnesota Reformer do not show payments from the Demuth campaign to Golnik.
Golnik told the publication that he considers Demuth a friend and is volunteering for her campaign, as he has done for numerous candidates. Demuth acknowledged that her campaign uses volunteers but declined to describe Golnik’s specific responsibilities.
Golnik’s paid lobbying clients include Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic and Wegovy; PMI U.S. Corporate Services, a Philip Morris subsidiary; and the North Metro Harness Initiative, which operates as Running Aces in Columbus.
Running Aces contributed $500,000 in June to Restore Sanity, a political committee supporting Demuth’s gubernatorial campaign. That committee subsequently received a separate $10 million infusion from the Restoration of America PAC, which is primarily funded by Wisconsin billionaires Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein.
Golnik previously served as executive director of the Minnesota House Republican caucus and worked closely with former House Speaker Kurt Daudt. He also founded the Minnesota Jobs Coalition, which helped Republicans regain control of the Minnesota House in 2014.
There is no allegation that Golnik or Demuth violated campaign-finance or lobbying law. Lobbyists from both political parties routinely volunteer for campaigns, raise money and advise candidates.
The public-interest question concerns whether extensive unpaid assistance from a lobbyist creates an expectation of access if the candidate wins. Norman Ornstein, an emeritus scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, told the Minnesota Reformer that a lobbyist occupying a decision-making campaign role would be unusual and could create an appearance problem.
Former Speaker Daudt defended Golnik’s involvement, saying political professionals frequently hold different roles in public service, campaigns and advocacy.
Minnesota voters are choosing a governor whose administration will make decisions affecting prescription drugs, tobacco regulation, gambling and taxation. Transparency about who advises the candidates allows voters to evaluate possible conflicts, obligations and channels of influence before Election Day.
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