Election denier Mike Lindell lost the Republican primary for Minnesota governor Aug. 11.
The MyPillow founder had been endorsed by President Donald Trump, as Lindell has been among Trump’s most fervent defenders. He has faced court judgments and bankruptcy because of his false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump by voting machines.
In 2025, a jury ordered Lindell to pay $2.3 million to defamed voting company executive Eric Coomer, whom Lindell falsely claimed rigged voting machines to steal the 2020 election and called Coomer “treasonous” and a “traitor” on his TV show.
Lindell also was sued by two voting machine companies and others seeking combined claims of billions in damages. Lindell settled with one of those companies out of court, and he was convicted of defamation against the other.
In Minnesota, Lindell was defeated by State House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a more moderate Republican, who will face Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar in the general election.
The current governor, Tim Walz, was the Democratic vice presidential candidate in the 2026 presidential election and has been a target of attack by Trump ever since. He declined to run for a third term.
Lindell is an exception to the rule in this year’s Republican primaries. Trump-endorsed candidates in Republican primaries this year have won 220 of 227 (97%) of their races so far. The majority of Trump’s endorsements, however, have gone to incumbents.
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