Mike Lindell, a prominent ally of President Donald Trump widely known as the “My Pillow Guy,” has declined to concede his defeat in the Republican primary for Minnesota governor. Despite trailing Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth by 11 percentage points, Lindell has pointed to potential voting irregularities as the reason for his refusal to accept the outcome.
Late Tuesday night, as the results became increasingly clear, the Trump-backed candidate insisted to reporters that approximately 265,000 Election Day votes remained uncounted, which he claimed could still propel him into the lead. When asked on August 11 if he would accept the results if the Associated Press called the race for his opponent, Lindell dismissed the prospect entirely. “The AP? Why would I listen to the AP?” he remarked, arguing that he was down by 18,000 votes at the time and expected to close the gap.
Lindell’s optimism was short-lived, as he never managed to overtake Demuth. The Associated Press officially called the race at 11:26 p.m. on Tuesday. Following the call, Lindell expressed skepticism regarding the accuracy of the final vote tallies, questioning the state’s computerized counting systems and advocating for a return to paper ballots. He told reporters he needed time to investigate, noting that his teams had identified what he described as “a couple of anomalies,” though he did not provide specific evidence.
By the morning of Wednesday, August 12, the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office confirmed that all precincts had reported their results. The final tally showed Demuth winning with 179,546 votes compared to Lindell’s 134,198, securing a decisive 43% to 32% victory. Demuth is now set to face Democratic nominee U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar in the November general election.
Lindell, who resigned as CEO of My Pillow to pursue the gubernatorial bid, has a well-documented history of challenging election integrity. He remains a staunch defender of President Trump and has frequently promoted unfounded claims that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent.
During the vote count, Lindell had briefly expressed confidence as returns shifted slightly in his favor. “If this is a sign, we will have the lead within an hour,” he stated at the time, suggesting a surge in Election Day votes would favor his campaign. However, that anticipated momentum failed to materialize.
As of now, the status of Lindell’s concession remains unclear. When contacted for comment, his campaign did not clarify his current position, though a spokeswoman indicated that a formal statement is expected on Thursday, August 13. Lindell has not made any public appearances or statements regarding the race since his primary defeat.
Even as it became clear he would fall short, the Trump-endorsed Lindell told reporters late Tuesday night that he believed 265,000 votes cast on Election Day hadn’t been counted and could push him to the lead.
“There’s 265,000 votes left to count.
We just gained 5,000.
I’m not going to give up this race until the votes are counted.
“It just doesn’t make sense, you guys.
“We’ve got different teams right now.
