What to Know
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has filed paperwork to run for governor of Minnesota, creating a campaign committee that will allow him to raise money. The Mike Lindell for Governor committee was registered with the state’s Campaign Finance Board on Wednesday.
In an interview Wednesday morning, Lindell told the Minnesota Star Tribune that his run for governor “isn’t 100% yet,” but he intends to announce his decision at a news conference next week.
“I am going to announce either way on Dec. 11,” Lindell said.
Lindell’s possible entrance into the race would shake up what’s become a crowded field of Republicans who are seeking to challenge DFL Gov. Tim Walz. His close proximity to President Donald Trump and prominence in the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement could make him a top contender for the GOP nomination, despite concerns about his electability and promotion of debunked election fraud theories.
Lindell told the Star Tribune in October that he had polled hypothetical matchups against Walz and other Republicans running for governor.
“If there was someone to win, it would be me,” Lindell said of the GOP field.
Other prominent GOP candidates for governor include Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, 2022 nominee Scott Jensen, state Rep. Kristin Robbins, businessman Kendall Qualls and attorney Chris Madel.
Most of the GOP candidates have openly welcomed Trump’s endorsement. But a run by Lindell, a close friend of the president, could dash their hopes of winning Trump’s backing.
Republicans aligned with the more moderate wing of the GOP have said that having Lindell atop the ticket could hurt their chances of winning the governor’s office for the first time since 2006. Walz’s campaign has appeared eager to run against Lindell, blasting out fundraising emails in recent months about the Republican’s interest in the governor’s race.
Minnesota DFL chair Richard Carlbom said Wednesday that Lindell “represents exactly what today’s Republican Party has become: conspiratorial, extremist, and weird.” “He’s an out-of-touch salesman running to turn Minnesota into his next failed business,” Carlbom said in a statement.
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Ryan Faircloth
The Minnesota Star Tribune
(TNS)
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