Mike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow, announced that he believes he’s the best person to “save” Minnesota and filed the required paperwork to run as the Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2026. He plans to make his formal declaration at his Minnesota pillow plant on December 11.
When asked whether he’d eventually reveal his campaign, Lindell said, “I’m 98%, but I can’t say 100%,” adding that his campaign manager urged him to file the paperwork even though he wasn’t fully certain. He hinted that he will only run if he’s convinced he can help the state, describing his primary opponents—state Representative Kristin Robbins and former challenger Scott Jensen who lost to Governor Tim Walz in 2022—as people he has never even examined.
Lindell, a lifelong Minnesotan who rose from a crack cocaine addiction to build a multimillion‑dollar company and later founded his own television network, has criticized Governor Walz’s handling of the state. He called Walz’s administration “shameful,” citing a series of large welfare fraud scandals that drew national attention. The Treasury Department and the House Oversight Committee have investigated allegations of misallocated taxpayer funds. “It’s a shame,” Lindell said about the fraud, “that money was all earmarked for people that really needed help. It’s disgusting.”
He explained that he is willing to “pull more people that are traditional Democrats than Republicans” because of his earlier work in addiction treatment in Minneapolis, before the politics got involved. He also referenced his personal journey—from addiction and street life to faith in Jesus Christ, to building his business and enduring many attacks—to bolster his qualifications. He mentioned the FBI’s seizure of his phone during the 2022 Arctic Frost investigation as an example of the scrutiny he has faced.
Lindell is one of the Trump favorites who has amplified claims of a 2020 election fraud. While he has not yet talked with President Trump about a potential endorsement, he notes his experience with constant attacks and wonders if a gubernatorial run will raise that level further. The time-honored “American dream” story he offers is aimed at showing voters that he has the resilience and motivation needed to lead Minnesota.
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