Mike Lindell, the founder and CEO of My Pillow, announced on Thursday that he is running for governor in Minnesota. Lindell, 64, who will run as a Republican, joins a crowded field aiming to unseat two-term Democrat Tim Walz next year.
“After prayerful consideration and hearing from so many of you across our great state, I’ve made the decision to enter the 2026 gubernatorial race,” Lindell posted on social media. “I’m still standing and I’ll stand for you.”
Lindell joins a GOP primary field that includes Lisa Demuth, the speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives; Scott Jensen, a former state senator and the 2022 Republican nominee for governor; Chris Madel, a prominent lawyer in Minnesota; and Minnesota state Rep. Kristin Robbins.
Lindell told the Minnesota Star Tribune he considers himself the front-runner in the GOP field for governor, even as he has faced intense legal and financial turmoil that has threatened the survival of his company.
“I’m going to win,” Lindell said in an interview Wednesday with the newspaper at MyPillow’s headquarters in Chaska, Minnesota.
A close ally of President Donald Trump, Lindell is best known for promoting the idea that voting machines in the United States are often rigged and have tipped elections.
Walz, who is seeking an unprecedented third consecutive four-year term as Minnesota’s governor, has already taken aim at Lindell.
“We’ve seen what happens when we elect a con man to the highest office in America,” Walz wrote on X in response to Lindell’s announcement. “We can’t let it happen here in Minnesota.”
Lindell’s social media platform, LindellTV, has gained credentials to cover the White House and, more recently, the Pentagon.
Lindell launched a campaign website and outlined his main campaign priorities -- stopping fraud, fixing “failing school systems,” stopping “exploding property taxes” and “send(ing) illegal immigrants back.”
Financially, Lindell has suffered some losses. In June, a jury found that he had defamed Eric Coomer, a former employee of Dominion Voting Systems, and awarded $2.3 million in damages to the former employee. Lindell has said he would appeal the decision.
Lindell said he decided to run for office because he wants Minnesota’s Republican delegates to support him because of his vision for the state, and not necessarily because of his close ties to Trump.
“I believe I will stand on my own merit,” Lindell said.
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