{"id":2643432,"date":"2026-08-11T23:52:16","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T03:52:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-backed-mike-lindell-falls-to-lisa-demuth-in-minnesota-governor-primary\/"},"modified":"2026-08-11T23:55:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T03:55:15","slug":"trump-backed-mike-lindell-falls-to-lisa-demuth-in-minnesota-governor-primary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-backed-mike-lindell-falls-to-lisa-demuth-in-minnesota-governor-primary\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump-backed Mike Lindell falls to Lisa Demuth in Minnesota governor primary"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-backed-mike-lindell-falls-to-lisa-demuth-in-minnesota-governor-primary%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2643432&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Mike Lindell, founder of MyPillow, lost his bid in Minnesota\u2019s GOP gubernatorial primary to State House Speaker Lisa Demuth, indicating that former President Donald Trump&#8217;s endorsement was insufficient to secure victory. The primary race was highly influenced by political power struggles, with Trump supporting Lindell due to his involvement in election conspiracy theories, while the Minnesota Republican party ultimately backed healthcare executive Kendall Qualls as a more conventional candidate. Demuth is set to face Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar in the upcoming general election, though recent scandals have weakened Democratic prospects. Lindell\u2019s defeat marks a setback for Trump&#8217;s influence in the state\u2019s Republican politics, especially given Lindell&#8217;s controversial stance and recent legal issues related to his claims of election fraud. Despite Lindell\u2019s backing from Trump, party leaders favored a more traditional Republican candidate aligned with broader party strategies. Lindell, known for his manufacturing success and high-profile election fraud claims, had previously been a prominent supporter of Trump\u2019s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and has also established his own media outlet to promote his views.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MyPillow founder <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mike-lindell\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"11052\">Mike Lindell<\/a> fell in Tuesday\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/minnesota\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"443\">Minnesota<\/a> GOP gubernatorial primary to state House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a sign that President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/president-donald-trump\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"17568\">Donald Trump<\/a>\u2018s endorsement wasn\u2019t enough to get the 2020 election denier over the finish line.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tuesday\u2019s results set up what is expected to be a fierce general election between Demuth and Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/amy-klobuchar\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"683\">Amy Klobuchar<\/a> (D-MN). Democrats in the state are weakened by <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4676631\/klobuchar-hopes-overcome-fraud-scandals-plagued-walz-minnesota-governor-race\/\">fraud scandals<\/a> that forced incumbent Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4406501\/tim-walz-drops-reelection-bid-minnesota-governor\/\">drop his reelection bid<\/a>. Yet Minnesota, which has not had a Republican governor since 2011, remains an uphill battle for the GOP. <\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4682754\/mike-lindell-lisa-demuth-minnesota-governor\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump-backed Mike Lindell falls to Lisa Demuth in Minnesota governor primary<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4683977\/wisconsin-governor-primary-david-crowley-francesca-hong\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Wisconsin governor primary too close to call as Hong and Crowley claw for lead<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4682736\/amy-klobuchar-democratic-nomination-minnesota-governor\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Amy Klobuchar wins Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Minnesota<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <em>Associated Press<\/em> called the race for Demuth at 11:26 p.m. with 45.1% of the vote to Lindell\u2019s 31%. Minnesota does not have runoffs for partisan primary elections, meaning that Demuth will appear on the November ballot even though she did not pass the 50% threshold.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The primary became a proxy fight for political influence between President<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"4\"> Donald Trump<\/a> and the Minnesota Republican Party as it took shape over the summer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump endorsed Lindell, who was an ally in his campaign to overturn the 2020 presidential election, last month. Trump hailed the \u201cPillow Man\u201d as the best pick to replace Walz, one of his political nemeses.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe truly loves Minnesota, as do I, and wants to bring it back from oblivion and embarrassment,\u201d the president said of Lindell in a July 15 Truth Social <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/116923765602106745\">post<\/a>. \u201cHe can do it! Nobody has sacrificed more than Mike Lindell in fighting for our country, especially when it comes to Election Integrity.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Minnesota Republican Party quickly expressed its wariness of Trump\u2019s bullish stance on Lindell. Party Chairman Alex Plechash released a statement on the day of Trump\u2019s endorsement, warning that Republicans must nominate \u201cthe candidate best positioned to defeat Amy Klobuchar.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese are serious times, and they demand serious, disciplined leadership,\u201d Plechash continued. \u201cMinnesota needs a governor who can unite Republicans, earn the support of independent voters, and defeat Amy Klobuchar.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">Candidates for Minnesota governor, from left, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, Mike Lindell and Kendall Qualls participate in a forum at Farmfest, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in Morgan, Minn. (AP Photo\/Ellen Schmidt)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/08\/localimages\/AP26217787452175.jpg6a7bedf6e3c7f.jpg?w=696&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Candidates for Minnesota governor, from left, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, Mike Lindell, and Kendall Qualls participate in a forum at Farmfest, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in Morgan, Minnesota. (AP Photo\/Ellen Schmidt)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead of Lindell, the party backed healthcare executive and Army veteran Kendall Qualls. That choice was surprising given that Qualls, a perennial candidate, had never proven himself politically.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet Qualls won an internal poll at the party\u2019s Duluth convention in May. He <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.duluthnewstribune.com\/news\/minnesota\/kendall-qualls-wins-gop-endorsement-for-governor\">pulled ahead<\/a> on the 10th ballot in a marathon contest between himself, Lindell, and Demuth. Lindell <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4681613\/trump-minnesota-governor-primary-mike-lindell-endorsement\/\">told<\/a> the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that, without enough support to push his own name over the finish line, he decided to back Qualls as an anti-establishment pick.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In elevating Qualls, the Minnesota GOP passed over Demuth\u2019s institutional record. It also signaled the party\u2019s unwillingness to nominate Lindell, whom many feared would be a hard sell to Minnesota voters in November.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lindell and Demuth consistently polled ahead of Qualls among Republican voters, though most <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/polls\/minnesota-governor-election-polls-2026.html\">recent surveys<\/a> had Lindell beating Demuth in the weeks leading up to the primary.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lindell\u2019s loss is a dent to Trump\u2019s coveted endorsement. The president has been a kingmaker in Republican politics since his meteoric 2016 rise, though <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4677523\/trump-kingmaker-reputation-damaged-primary-endorsement-losses\/\">recent primary losses<\/a> called his continued influence into question.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump\u2019s decision to back Lindell\u2019s controversial candidacy was a sign of his own confidence in his political power.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lindell founded bedding manufacturer MyPillow in 2004 after a decades-long cocaine addiction. Now a born-again Christian, Lindell says the idea for a pillow made of interlocking foam chunks <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2017\/09\/20\/how-mypillow-founder-went-from-crack-addict-to-self-made-millionaire.html\">came to him<\/a> in a dream.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lindell has also made a name for himself in recent years through his tirades against alleged fraud and interference in American elections.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Voting machine manufacturer Dominion Voting Systems <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/minnesota\/news\/mike-lindell-dominion-voting-defamation-lawsuit-dropped\/\">settled<\/a> its $1.3 billion lawsuit against Lindell, though he lost a separate <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3445104\/mike-lindell-defamation-2-3-million-dominion-employee\/\">$2.3 million defamation verdict<\/a> to former Dominion executive Eric Coomer. He was also <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/mike-lindell-mypillow-smartmatic-defamation-voting-machines-d12b6d7f2cac0a77fb3feb9a80570b68\">found liable<\/a> for defaming Dominion competitor Smartmatic, where damages are still pending.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lindell\u2019s crusade against alleged election fraud prompted him to start a media venture of his own to remedy what he sees as biases in legacy outlets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4681613\/trump-minnesota-governor-primary-mike-lindell-endorsement\/\"><strong>TRUMP TURNS MINNESOTA\u2019S GOP GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY INTO PILLOW FIGHT WITH MIKE LINDELL ENDORSEMENT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat\u2019s why I formed Lindell TV because, in spite of all you guys out there, you know, at LindellTV.com, we\u2019re the only outlet now at the Pentagon, the White House, and Capitol every day because Fox and everybody else got kicked out of the Pentagon because they couldn\u2019t do normal reporting,\u201d Lindell told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> last month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lindell appeared on his newscast, as well as on other <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4661937\/mike-lindell-urged-withdraw-illegal-immigration-amnesty-proposal\/\">right-wing programs<\/a> such as Steve Bannon\u2019s <em>War Room<\/em>, throughout the campaign. He recently <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4675528\/mypillow-mike-lindell-step-down-minnesota-governor-campaign\/\">stepped down<\/a> from his position at the helm of MyPillow to focus on the gubernatorial race.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lindell loses MN GOP primary; Demuth to face Klobuchar<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4301,"featured_media":2643433,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26217775238056.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[38887,37335,33184,5507],"class_list":["post-2643432","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-mike-lindell","tag-minnesota-governor","tag-primary-election","tag-trump-backed"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26217775238056.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2643432","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4301"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2643432"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2643432\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2643436,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2643432\/revisions\/2643436"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2643433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2643432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2643432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2643432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}