MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell files bid to challenge Tim Walz in Minnesota governor race

WASHINGTON, DC: Mike Lindell, founder of MyPillow and a strong supporter of President Donald Trump, has filed paperwork to run for Minnesota governor against Tim Walz.

He joins a growing field of Republicans, including Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth and business executive Kendall Qualls, aiming to unseat the Democratic governor.

Lindell plans to make his formal campaign announcement on December 11 at his Minnesota pillow factory.

Mike Lindell slams Tim Walz's leadership

Mike Lindell told the New York Post that he has not yet fully decided whether he will officially run for governor, noting that his campaign manager pushed him to file the paperwork despite his uncertainty. “I’m 98% sure, but I can’t say 100%,” Lindell said.

He also noted that Gov Tim Walz is running for reelection in 2026, seeking a third term after losing as Kamala Harris’s running mate in 2024.

When asked about potential primary opponents, Lindell admitted, “I haven’t even looked at all that.” He explained his motivation for considering a run, “If I run, it’s going to be because I want to save my state, and I believe I’d be the best qualified of anyone to do it."

Lindell then criticized Walz’s leadership, saying, “I’ve lived in Minnesota my whole life, born and raised there, and what’s going on with the fraud and with our governor – it’s shameful.” He called the misuse of funds meant for those in need “disgusting. It's a shame.”

He also expressed frustration over the state’s decline, “I watched Minnesota go down, down, down, under horrible leadership, and it’s one of those things, if nobody else can get it done, do it yourself. I don’t trust anyone else to get this done."

Mike Lindell cites personal journey as proof of qualifications

Mike Lindell said he expects to attract more traditional Democrats than Republicans, citing his earlier work in Minneapolis on addiction treatment “before all this political stuff.”

He described his personal journey as proof of his qualifications: “I’ve lived the American dream, going from an addict and in the streets to getting freed of all the addictions by coming to Jesus Christ … then to be able to build up a massive company, and then to be able to withstand [being] the most attacked company in history.”

He also noted that the FBI seized his phone at a Hardee’s drive-thru in 2022 as part of the Biden Justice Department’s Arctic Frost investigation.

Lindell was among those who promoted claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged.

“I’m used to the attacks. Do I think they’ll bring it to another level? I don’t know if there’s any higher level,” he said when asked about fears of running for governor.

He added that he has not yet spoken with Trump about a potential campaign or endorsement. 

Mike Lindell faces criticism from DGA

The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) criticized Lindell’s possible run. DGA spokesperson Izzi Levy said, “Mike Lindell is the latest extreme, out of touch candidate to jump into what is becoming a more chaotic and dangerous race to the far-right by the day — and his entrance into the race is a bitter pill-ow for Minnesota Republicans to swallow.”

She added, “Lindell is a sleazy businessman who has praised Republicans’ health care cuts for hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans — and that’s on top of his long record of pushing to ban abortion, bankrolling efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and even saying 9/11 was ‘a blessing in disguise.’ Minnesotans can rest easy that we’re going to put to bed any dreams Lindell has of bringing his extreme agenda to the governor’s office.”