Overview
- The Republican Party of Minnesota chair sent a formal letter this week asking the state’s top election official to explain how the constitution’s one-year bona fide residency rule applies to Mike Lindell.
- The challenge focuses on whether Lindell’s prior ties and court filings that list him as domiciled in Texas mean he did not meet the constitution’s requirement to be a Minnesota resident for one year before election.
- Lindell denies the allegation, says he established residency in Minnesota in August 2025, and provided pay stubs he says show Minnesota tax withholding as proof.
- The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State told reporters it lacks authority to adjudicate residency disputes and said the Minnesota Supreme Court would need to decide, and no formal court petition had been filed as of the latest reports while early voting is already underway.
- The dispute has heightened intra-party tensions because Lindell is a leading primary candidate with President Trump’s endorsement and the issue could prompt last-minute legal challenges that change what voters see on Aug. 11.