Two protective orders have been filed against a Hugo woman after she left multiple threatening voicemails for two Republican state representatives, including Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth, one of several Republican gubernatorial candidates in this year’s election.

Rep. Patti Anderson, R-Dellwood. (Courtesy of Patti Anderson)

The Minnesota State Patrol has filed petitions for protective orders in Stearns and Washington counties on behalf of Demuth, R-Cold Spring, and Rep. Patti Anderson, R-Dellwood.

Rachel Marie Welsch, 42, has called Demuth and Anderson “almost daily and (left) voicemails regarding several different current political issues” since the beginning of January, according to the petition filed in Washington County District Court. Law enforcement said that Welsch blamed the lawmakers for issues occurring in other states and made several vague threats, such as “I will find you” or “I will be there where ever you are.”

In a recent voicemail, Welsch said she has been attending 2A — or permit to carry — classes and “she would like to see Rep. Demuth ‘fall at the end of a barrel.’ ” On Feb. 24, she left another voicemail saying “she could not wait to see (Demuth) in person and wanted to show her just what she has been learning in the ‘2A’ classes, adding she was a good shot and pretty accurate. Welsch also discussed federal immigration enforcement and the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, according to the complaint.

The remarks caused Demuth, who is running for governor, “great fear,” according to the petition. In one of the voicemails, Welsch said she is looking forward to seeing the gubernatorial candidate on the campaign trail, according to the complaint.

“I have added additional security measures at my home and have changed my previous patterns of going to and from work and for being in the public,” Demuth wrote in her petition. “The harassment has also caused much distress for my family members and their concern for my safety.”

Washington County District Judge Douglas Meslow granted the protective orders on Feb. 25, the same day the petition was filed, according to online court records.

The threats came after state Rep. Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, her husband, Mark, and their dog were shot and killed in their home in June. State Sen. John Hoffman, DFL-Champlin, and his wife, Yvette, were also shot in their home but survived the attack.

On Jan. 26, Gov. Tim Walz issued an executive order requiring weapons and hazardous materials screening at the Minnesota Capitol ahead of the 2026 legislative session, which began Feb. 17. Walz cited the killings of the Hortmans and shootings of the Hoffmans as the reason for the safety measures.

Threats against Minnesota elected officials more than doubled between 2024 and 2025, increasing from 19 to 50 by September of 2025, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.

Welsch was charged Feb. 26 with felony threats of violence and was released on $20,000 bail with conditions that she undergo a mental health screening, have GPS monitoring, not possess dangerous weapons and not contact the representatives. She is scheduled to attend a virtual hearing on March 11, according to online court records. A conviction carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

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