Republican Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth has picked former state auditor candidate Ryan Wilson as her running mate for her campaign for governor in the 2026 election.

Wilson, the founder and former chief executive of a clinical trials company who has worked as an attorney for Minnesota Republicans in election lawsuits, came closer in 2022 to defeating a Democratic-Farmer-Labor incumbent in a statewide race than any other GOP candidate.

Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth. (Courtesy photo)

At a Monday Capitol news conference announcing his candidacy for lieutenant governor, Wilson said he “didn’t hesitate” to join Demuth because he agreed with her priorities, which include fighting fraud in state government, improving education outcomes, and taking a tougher stance on crime and public safety.

“Four years ago, I campaigned across this state meeting with Minnesotans of every walk of life,” he said. “I heard how they worked hard for their tax dollars, for their money, and they wanted to know that it was going to help families and not fraudsters. They wanted to know that their money was going to schools to make their classrooms better and not get lost on bureaucrats.”

2002 election

In the 2022 election, Wilson faced State Auditor Julie Blaha and received 47.13% of the vote to Blaha’s 47.47%. Just 8,435 votes separated the candidates in the closest statewide race. Blaha is not running for a third term in 2026.

“Ryan’s success in being the closest statewide race this last election when he ran for state auditor let us know that Minnesotans were looking for a change,” Demuth said. “We are building a strong team early on.”

Demuth and Wilson’s announcement comes ahead of a statewide tour this week to promote their vision for Minnesota. Demuth hasn’t shared any specific policy proposals yet, but on Monday she said to “stay tuned.”

Wilson lives in Maple Grove with his wife and four children. Earlier this year, he represented the Republicans in their efforts to secure power in the closely divided House, where voters delivered a 67-67 tie between the parties in the 2024 election.

A power struggle ensued when a Roseville candidate who won didn’t take his seat after Republicans successfully challenged his residency in court. Wilson was part of the team of attorneys who argued before the state Supreme Court.

Demuth, 58, represents a district to the south and west of St. Cloud. This year, she made Minnesota history as the state’s first Black House speaker and first female Republican to serve in that role. Members selected her as speaker as part of a power-sharing agreement between the GOP and DFL.

Demuth launched her gubernatorial campaign last week, becoming the fourth GOP candidate in the 2026 race. A primary election to pick the party’s nominee is scheduled for August. The Minnesota Republican Party also holds a convention to endorse a candidate before the primary. Demuth has said she would honor the endorsement.

Other Republicans running for governor in 2026 include 2022 gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen, a doctor who rose to prominence for his criticism of state COVID policy; state Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove; and 2022 Republican endorsement contender Kendall Qualls, a former congressional candidate.

Demuth and Wilson have said they would welcome an endorsement from President Donald Trump. Wilson backed Trump in past elections and said he continues to do so today.

“President Trump is our president and he’s delivering on a lot of promises,” Wilson told reporters. “We’re seeing, for example, the southern border being fixed, and that’s having effects here in Minnesota today. So, yes, we stand by the president, and I stand by my past support of him.”

Walz, who is seeking an unprecedented third consecutive four-year term as governor, has not named a running mate for 2026. Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is running for a U.S. Senate seat to be vacated by Sen. Tina Smith next year and isn’t appearing on the ballot with Walz.

So far, Walz is the only DFLer running for governor in 2026.

No Republican has won a statewide election since 2006, when then-Gov. Tim Pawlenty won a second term. DFL Gov. Mark Dayton was elected in 2010 and served from 2011 to 2019. Walz followed.

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By NICHOLAS RICCARDI and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The pardons of dozens of Republicans accused of participating in efforts to overturn the 2020 election are a continuation of President Donald Trump’s attempts to rewrite the history about his election loss.

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They come months after Trump’s sweeping grant of clemency to all 1,500-plus people charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, which was the culmination of the campaign to reverse Trump’s loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

Unlike the Jan. 6 pardons, the newer ones will have little legal effect. None of the people on the new pardon list had faced federal prosecution for their actions in 2020. The presidential pardon has no impact on state or civil cases.

But they send a signal to those thinking of denying future elections in Trump’s favor.

Here’s a look at some of the more prominent names who were pardoned:

Rudy Giuliani

FILE – Rudy Giuliani speaks to the media outside Manhattan federal court in New York, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

The former New York City mayor, who was celebrated as “America’s mayor” after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, played a pivotal role in pushing Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud as the Republican’s personal lawyer in 2020. He has faced a slew of legal woes and financial setbacks for his advocacy of Trump’s false claims, including losing his law license in Washington and New York. He was criminally charged in cases brought by state prosecutors in Georgia and Arizona and pleaded not guilty. Those cases have hit roadblocks but remain unresolved and are not impacted by Trump’s pardon. Giuliani was ordered in 2023 to pay $148 million to two Georgia election workers who sued him over lies he spread about them and a reached a deal in January to resolve the debt and retain some of his property. The amount the women were set to receive was not disclosed. Giuliani has denied wrongdoing and said he was right to challenge an election he believed was tainted by fraud.

Mark Meadows

FILE – White House chief of staff Mark Meadows speaks with reporters at the White House, Oct. 21, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Trump’s chief of staff during the 2020 election and its aftermath, Meadows was charged in Arizona and Georgia cases and pleaded not guilty in both states. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected his effort to move his case in Georgia to federal court, where a pardon would nullify his jeopardy. Meadows has contended his post-election actions were taken in his official capacity as White House chief of staff, though prosecutors and judges have disagreed. Meadows was on the phone when Trump asked Georgia’s secretary of state, Republican Brad Raffensperger, to “find” him enough votes to be declared the winner of the state.

Kenneth Chesebro

FILE – Kenneth Chesebro speaks to Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee during a hearing where Chesebro accepted a plea deal from the Fulton County district attorney at the Fulton County Courthouse, Oct. 20, 2023, in Atlanta. (Alyssa Pointer/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Prosecutors in Fulton County, Georgia, alleged that Chesebro, an attorney, worked with Georgia Republicans at the direction of Trump’s campaign to organize 16 people to sign a certificate falsely claiming that Trump won the state and that they were his “duly elected and qualified” electors. Chesebro pleaded guilty to a conspiracy count in the state case but unsuccessfully tried to withdraw his plea as the massive case against him and 17 others, including Trump, collapsed due to legal issues. Chesebro’s law license in New York state was suspended after his plea.

Jenna Ellis

FILE – Jenna Ellis, a member of President Donald Trump’s legal team, speaks during a news conference at the Republican National Committee headquarters, Nov. 19, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

A prominent conservative media figure and an attorney, Ellis also pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings in the Georgia case. She apologized in court for advising the Trump campaign on how to overturn its loss and was censured and barred from practicing law for three years in her native Colorado for her conduct in 2020.

John Eastman

FILE – John Eastman, a California law professor, speaks to reporters after the Supreme Court hearing on Birthright Citizenship outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

A prominent conservative law professor, Eastman wrote a key memo outlining the Trump strategy of trying to reverse the president’s election loss by presenting a slate of alternate electors to Congress. Eastman faces charges in a state case filed by Arizona’s Democratic attorney general over that scheme. He was also charged in Fulton County, and the disciplinary board of the California State Bar has recommended he lose his California law license. Eastman has pleaded not guilty in the criminal cases and appealed his license suspension to California’s Supreme Court. He argues he is being punished for simply giving legal advice.

Jeffrey Clark

FILE – Former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC, in Oxon Hill, Md., Feb. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Clark, as a Justice Department official in the first Trump administration, drafted a letter that said the department was investigating “various irregularities” and had identified “significant concerns” that may have impacted the election in Georgia and other states. Clark wanted the letter sent to Georgia lawmakers, but Justice Department superiors refused. A Washington attorney disciplinary panel in July recommended that he be stripped of his law license, finding he made “intentionally false statements” when he continued to push for the Justice Department to issue the letter after being told by superiors that it contained falsehoods. Clark, who is now overseeing a federal regulatory office in the second Trump administration, said in a post on X on Monday: “I did nothing wrong when I questioned the 2020 election in Georgia.”

Sidney Powell

FILE – Attorney Sidney Powell, an attorney for Donald Trump, speaks during in Alpharetta, Ga., Dec. 2, 2020. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)

A lawyer and staunch Trump ally, Powell filed in battleground states a series of lawsuits that were rejected by courts and played a pivotal role in pushing unsubstantiated claims of fraud. Emails and documents obtained through subpoenas in one lawsuit showed Powell was involved in arranging for a computer forensics team to travel to rural Coffee County, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Atlanta, to copy data and software from elections equipment there in January 2021. She pleaded guilty in 2023 to reduced charges in the Georgia case, becoming the second defendant to reach a deal with prosecutors. She was initially charged with racketeering and six other counts but ultimately received probation after pleading guilty to six misdemeanors accusing her of conspiring to intentionally interfere with the performance of election duties.

By KELVIN CHAN, AP Business Writer

While driving to a new restaurant, your car’s satellite navigation system tracks your location and guides you to the destination. Onboard cameras constantly track your face and eye movements. When another car veers into your path, forcing you to slam on the brakes, sensors are assisting and recording. Waiting at a stoplight, the car notices when you unbuckle your seat belt to grab your sunglasses in the backseat.

Modern cars are computers on wheels that are becoming increasingly connected, enabling innovative new features that make driving safer and more convenient. But these systems are also collecting reams of data on our driving habits and other personal information, raising concerns about data privacy.

Here is what to know about how your car spies on you and how you can minimize it:

How cars collect data

It’s hard to figure out exactly how much data a modern car is collecting on you, according to the Mozilla Foundation, which analyzed privacy practices at 25 auto brands in 2023. It declared that cars were the worst product category that the group had ever reviewed for privacy.

The data points include all your normal interactions with the car — such as turning the steering wheel or unlocking doors — but also data from connected onboard services, like satellite radio, GPS navigation systems, connected devices, telematics systems as well as data from sensors or cameras.

Vehicle telematics systems started to become commonplace about a decade ago, and the practice of automotive data collection took off about five years ago.

The problem is not just that data is being collected but who it’s provided to, including insurers, marketing companies and shadowy data brokers. The issue surfaced earlier this year when General Motors was banned for five years from disclosing data collected from drivers to consumer reporting agencies.

The Federal Trade Commission accused GM of not getting consent before sharing the data, which included every instance when a driver was speeding or driving late at night. It was ultimately provided to insurance companies that used it to set their rates.

Be aware

The first thing drivers should do is be aware of what data their car is collecting, said Andrea Amico, founder of Privacy4Cars, an automotive privacy company.

In an ideal world, drivers would read through the instruction manuals and documentation that comes with their cars, and quiz the dealership about what’s being collected.

A custom made Chevrolet Corvette C8 is seen with other show cars on a carpet during a carwalk at a preview of the Essen Motor Show in Essen, Germany, Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

But it’s not always practical to do this, and manufacturers don’t always make it easy to find out, while dealership staff aren’t always the best informed, Amico said.

Privacy4Cars offers a free auto privacy labeling service at vehicleprivacyreport.com that can summarize what your car could be tracking.

Owners can punch in their car’s Vehicle Identification Number, which then pulls up the automaker’s data privacy practices, such as whether the car collects location data and whether it’s given to insurers, data brokers or law enforcement.

Tweak your settings

Data collection and tracking start as soon as you drive a new car off the dealership lot, with drivers unwittingly consenting when they’re confronted with warning menus on dashboard touch screens.

Experts say that some of the data collection is baked into the system, you can revoke your consent by going back into the menus.

“There are permissions in your settings that you can make choices about,” said Lauren Hendry Parsons of Mozilla. “Go through on a granular level and look at those settings where you can.”

For example, Toyota says on its website that drivers can decline what it calls “Master Data Consent” through the Toyota app. Ford says owners can opt to stop sharing vehicle data with the company by going through the dashboard settings menu or on the FordPass app.

BMW says privacy settings can be adjusted through the infotainment system, “on a spectrum between” allowing all services including analysis data and none at all.

You can opt out…

Drivers in the U.S. can ask carmakers to restrict what they do with their data.

Under state privacy laws, some carmakers allow owners across the United States to submit requests to limit the use of their personal data, opt out of sharing it, or delete it, Consumer Reports says. Other auto companies limit the requests to people in states with applicable privacy laws, the publication says.

You can file a request either through an online form or the carmaker’s mobile app.

You can also go through Privacy4Cars, which provides a free online service that streamlines the process. It can either point car owners to their automaker’s request portal or file a submission on behalf of owners in the U.S., Canada, the European Union, Britain and Australia.

… but there will be trade-offs

Experts warn that there’s usually a trade-off if you decide to switch off data collection.

Most people, for example, have switched to satellite navigation systems over paper maps because it’s “worth the convenience of being able to get from point A to point B really easily,” said Hendry Parsons.

Members of the media and guests look at Toyota’s Corolla concept during the press day of the Japan Mobility Show, in Tokyo, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

Turning off location tracking could also halt features like roadside assistance or disable smartphone app features like remote door locking, Consumer Reports says.

BMW advises that if an owner opts to have no data shared at all, “their vehicle will behave like a smartphone in flight mode and will not transmit any data to the BMW back end.”

When selling your car

When the time comes to sell your car or trade it in for a newer model, it’s no longer as simple as handing over the keys and signing over some paperwork.

If you’ve got a newer car, experts say you should always do a factory reset to wipe all the data, which will also include removing any smartphone connections.

And don’t forget to notify the manufacturer about the change of ownership.

Amico said that’s important because if you trade in your vehicle, you don’t want insurers to associate it with your profile if the dealer is letting customers take it for test drives.

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“Now your record may be affected by somebody else’s driving — a complete stranger that you have no relationship with.”

Is there a tech topic that you think needs explaining? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your suggestions for future editions of One Tech Tip.

This story has been corrected to show that the Mozilla representative’s first name is Lauren, not Laura.

By Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

This seasonal dessert marries two Mediterranean flavors: fresh, ripe figs and sweet peaches.

The pastry crust is very forgiving and comes together in just a few minutes (though it has to be chilled for an hour).

If you have really sweet fruit, you can cut back on the amount of sugar in the filling; if it’s on the under-ripe side, increase it.

The recipe calls for demerara sugar (a partially refined raw cane sugar characterized by its large, light-brown crystals) but you can substitute another large-crystal sugar like turbinado.

Equally delicious warm or at room temperature, the tart can be served with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for a touch of pizzazz. Also great with your morning coffee!

Fig and Peach Tart

PG tested

Figs are in season from late summer to early fall. You usually can find them at specialty groceries like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.

For pastry

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more to dust

1/4 cup demerara sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1 extra-large egg yolk (reserve white for glazing)

1 tablespoon cold water

For filling

2 ripe and sweet small peaches

5 ripe figs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup demerara sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

For glaze

1 extra-large egg white, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons demerara sugar

Make pastry: Place flour, sugar, salt and butter in a large bowl and rub together with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Lightly beat egg yolk and cold water, then add to the bowl, using your hands to lightly knead everything together into a soft ball of dough.

Wrap in plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice peaches into 3/4 -inch-thick slices, removing the pits, and quarter the figs. Place the fruit in a bowl and toss with the vanilla, cinnamon, lemon juice, demarara sugar and cornstarch.

Place a sheet of parchment paper on a work surface and put the ball of pastry on it. Lightly flour a rolling pin and use it to roll out the pastry into a circle around 1/4 -inch thick and 14 inches in diameter. Don’t worry if edges are rough. If pastry starts coming apart, just squish it back together with your fingers.

Place parchment paper with the dough on baking sheet, and arrange peach and fig slices in the center of the circle, leaving a 2-inch border. (Either pile all in the middle or make a pattern with circles.)

Fold the edges of the pastry over the fruit. Use your finger to bring the pasty together where you have gaps.

Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the top of the pasty with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.

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Bake for around 40 minutes, until the top of the pastry is an even dark golden-brown color. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 1 tart.

— “Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories from Turkey, Greece and Cyprus” by Yasmin Khan

©2025 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.