Mike Lindell to Finance Full Hand Recount After Losing Minnesota Governor Primary

Mike Lindell, the founder of MyPillow, confirmed he will pay for a statewide hand recount and audit of every paper ballot cast in Minnesota's Republican primary for governor, where he trailed Lisa Demuth by roughly 11 percentage points. He invoked a state law that allows any losing candidate to request a full hand count even when the margin exceeds the 0.25% trigger for a publicly funded recount. Under Minnesota rules, a candidate must submit a request and the necessary funds within five days after the primary canvass.

While Lindell has not provided proof, he alleged the presence of "anomalies" on election night. No official irregularities have been reported. The move follows his broader post-2020 election activism, including recent defamation settlements with Dominion Voting Systems and a pending judgment involving Smartmatic. Demuth will face the incumbent governor, Tim Walz, in the November 3 general election.