Overview
- President Trump publicly endorsed MyPillow founder Mike Lindell for governor, calling him “one of America’s greatest and most hard working Patriots.”
- A Survey USA/KSTP poll from earlier this month shows Lindell leading the Republican field with 27 percent support, ahead of House Speaker Lisa Demuth and state party‑endorsed Kendall Qualls.
- Early voting is already underway before the Aug. 11 GOP primary, giving the endorsement immediate influence over turnout and late voters.
- Lindell has long promoted false claims about the 2020 election and says he would remove electronic voting machines in favor of hand counts and paper ballots, saying the machines “need to be melted down.”
- The primary winner will face the DFL nominee in November, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar is the presumptive Democratic favorite after securing her party's endorsement and a large fundraising lead.