Minnesota GOP’s endorsed Qualls faces Trump-backed Lindell
MORGAN, Minn. — Standing among fellow candidates in T-shirts and jeans at the Minnesota Farmfest trade show, MyPillow founder Mike Lindell wore a dark suit and red tie and told the crowd that his relationship with President Trump sets him apart in the race for governor.
“I have an advantage over everyone up here. I can call up and work with the president of the United States,” the 65-year-old Minnesota native said, drawing applause.
Lindell is running for the Republican nomination in Tuesday’s primary to replace Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, who decided not to run for a third term. Last week, Lindell announced he was stepping down as CEO of MyPillow to focus on the campaign.
Trump has never won Minnesota in his three bids for the White House. More recently, his administration has targeted the state for Medicaid cuts and led the immigration enforcement surge that left two observers dead. Despite that, Lindell is running on a Trump-forward platform, and some polls indicate he could be leading the primary.
Lindell is a longtime Trump ally who joined the president in vocally denying the results of the 2020 election. Voting machine companies sued him for defamation, including one case that was settled. Trump has endorsed Lindell, but his run has faced friction with the party establishment, which endorsed Kendall Qualls at its May convention.
“It’s really not shocking to see that he has bucked the party in their endorsement process by choosing someone that he’s got a close personal relationship with,” said Preya Samsundar, a Minnesota-based Republican political strategist. “I think it’s more surprising that he did not choose a candidate who had an ability to win statewide.”
Last week, the Minnesota Republican Party chair raised questions about Lindell’s residency. A former party leader resurfaced allegations that Lindell physically abused a former girlfriend in a column published in the state’s largest newspaper. Lindell has long denied the allegations and said his residency is in order. He alleged the party leaders want him to lose.
“It’s a coordinated attack,” Lindell told reporters. “It started when I got the president’s endorsement.”
Several people picked up campaign signs and copies of Lindell’s autobiography at the farm expo. Mary Jo Kukacka, one of them, said she is praying for a Lindell win this week.
“He’s an honest individual, and he’s not your typical politician promising you all kinds of stuff and not delivering,” Kukacka said. “He’s not a polished spokesperson, and that I kind of like also.”
Qualls, the state Republican Party’s endorsed candidate, cast the race as a break from the status quo.
“When I was on active duty as an artillery officer, when the conventional forces couldn’t get it done, we brought in the special forces,” Qualls said. “We brought in something different. This is why we need different leadership in the state today.”
Candidate Lisa Demuth, who has led the GOP field in fundraising, touted her work leading a tied Minnesota House of Representatives as its speaker.
“Absolutely everything that we passed over the last two years had to be bipartisan. We have proven that we can do that here in Minnesota,” Demuth said. “And as your next governor, my proof is that I can lead this state.”
Also on the candidate forum stage was the likely Democratic opponent in the fall, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who urged voters to reject a Trump-aligned governor.
“We do not need a governor who is a rubber stamp of Donald Trump. We need a governor who is going to put you first, who’s going to put Minnesota first,” Klobuchar said. She chastised the trio of Republican candidates for failing to oppose Trump on tariffs, immigration policies and the war in Iran.