Trump-backed Mike Lindell falls to Lisa Demuth in Minnesota governor primary

Published August 11, 2026 11:35pm ET



MyPillow founder Mike Lindell fell in Tuesday’s Minnesota GOP gubernatorial primary to state House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a sign that President Donald Trump‘s endorsement wasn’t enough to get the 2020 election denier over the finish line.

Tuesday’s results set up what is expected to be a fierce general election between Demuth and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). Democrats in the state are weakened by fraud scandals that forced incumbent Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) to drop his reelection bid. Yet Minnesota, which has not had a Republican governor since 2011, remains an uphill battle for the GOP. 

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