Mike Lindell, Backed by Trump, Runs for Minnesota Governor Against His Own Party's Pick
Mike Lindell, the founder of MyPillow and a longtime supporter of President Donald Trump, is one of several Republicans running for governor of Minnesota. The primary election is on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. The race has revealed a split between the Minnesota Republican Party's leaders and the White House.
President Trump endorsed Lindell on July 15, 2026. That endorsement bypassed the Minnesota Republican Party's own chosen candidate, Kendall Qualls, who won the party's backing at its May convention. Qualls is a former Army artillery officer and special forces veteran. Another Republican in the race is Lisa Demuth, the speaker of the Minnesota state House. The primary will decide which one Republican moves on to the November 3 general election, where the winner will face a Democratic candidate. They are running to replace Gov. Tim Walz, who decided not to run for a third term. NPR
Lindell announced his campaign on December 11, 2025, and said he was stepping down as CEO of MyPillow to focus on the race. He has been a longtime Trump ally and joined the president in denying the results of the 2020 election. Lindell was sued for defamation by voting machine companies, and one of those cases was settled. NPR
The contest has caused friction in several ways. The chair of the Minnesota Republican Party raised questions about whether Lindell actually lives in Minnesota, in the week before the primary. A former party leader brought back up old allegations that Lindell physically abused a former girlfriend. Lindell has long denied those allegations. NPR
As of July 2026, Lindell owed about $6 million in federal taxes and nearly $48,000 in unpaid property taxes, according to CBS Minnesota. CBS Minnesota
Trump has never won Minnesota in his three runs for president. That makes it an open question whether his endorsement of Lindell can help Republicans win the governor's office in a state where he has never prevailed at the top of the ticket. NPR
The broader context here is a tug-of-war between two kinds of support. The state party endorsed Qualls at its May convention. That endorsement is a helpful tool for a candidate, but it is not binding — primary voters can choose whoever they want. Think of it like a teacher recommending one student for an award while the principal backs another. The students still get to compete, and the voters decide who wins. So in this primary, Republican voters will decide whether to follow their state party or the president.
Lindell's personal and financial problems add another factor. The questions about where he lives, the abuse allegations he denies, and the millions he owes in taxes give Republican voters reason to worry about whether he can win in November. Those problems would face even more attention in a general election, especially in a state where Trump himself has never won.
For people watching Minnesota politics, the primary is a test of two things: whether Trump's endorsement can beat the state party's organized opposition, and whether a candidate with major personal and financial problems can win a crowded primary. The result will also show whether Minnesota Republicans think a Trump-aligned candidate can win in their state.
