Polling Average
20%15%10%5%0%
18%
17%
12%
11%
Minnesota Republican Governor nominee?
$123.0K
AUG 12, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleBusinessman
PartyRepublican
Political ideologyTrump-aligned Republican
Age64 years old (Jun 28, 1961)
GenderMale
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LocationMinnesota
BackgroundBusinessman
EducationUniversity of Minnesota (attended; did not graduate)
Notable personal detailsMichael James Lindell is an American businessman and political activist best known as the founder and CEO of MyPillow. He attended the University of Minnesota (did not complete a degree). He has been a prominent supporter of Donald Trump and has been active in promoting claims related to the 2020 U.S. presidential election. In December 2025, he announced he was running for the Republican nomination for Governor of Minnesota in the 2026 election.
SourcesShowHide
en.wikipedia.orgapnews.comwikidata.orglindell4minnesota.comes.wikipedia.orgde.wikipedia.orgit.wikipedia.orgpt.wikipedia.orgaxios.commikelindellgov.comtwitter.comthedailybeast.comimdb.comsvd.secelebrity.kabastro.commediamatters.orgwistv.combiyografya.comlindelltv.comsdpb.orgidcrawl.comfoxnews.commichaeljlindell.commycharisma.comnewsmax.comwarroom.orgtoddhuffshow.comcrooksandliars.commusic.amazon.infight.fudgie.orgdemocraticgovernors.orgheatmap.newswashingtonpost.comcbsnews.comyahoo.comredlakenationnews.comyournews.comwfmd.comstartribune.comjustfacts.votesmart.orgx.comvoterguide.ballotpedia.orgdeveloper.ballotpedia.orgstatic.votesmart.orgvotesmart.orgcba.ballotpedia.orgcdn.ballotpedia.orgcommons.wikimedia.orgcreativecommons.orgupload.wikimedia.orgnga.orgfec.govballotready.org
Positions
LiberalConservative
Economy & Taxes
The candidate supports cutting taxes and fees, opposing higher taxes and ‘‘exploding’’ property taxes, and reducing regulations that he says hurt businesses. He frames government fraud and waste as driving up costs for families and calls for rolling back policies he views as burdensome to entrepreneurs.
Healthcare
The candidate emphasizes addiction treatment and recovery programs (through the Lindell Recovery Network) and pledges to address addiction and public safety as part of his platform, but provides no clear stated position on broader health‑care policy such as the Affordable Care Act, Medicare/Medicaid expansion, or a public option.
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Immigration & Border
The candidate advocates for strict enforcement and removal of unauthorized immigrants and has promoted strong restrictionist views on immigration, including support for deportations and criticism of asylum/immigrant access tied to alleged fraud. Public statements link immigration to fraud in state programs and call for aggressive government transparency and enforcement actions.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
The candidate opposes abortion and has publicly funded and promoted anti-abortion efforts; he has criticized Planned Parenthood and described abortion providers in negative terms. His public activities and statements align with pro-restriction positions on reproductive rights rather than supporting expanded access.
Climate & Energy
Has publicly rejected the mainstream scientific consensus on climate change and has described climate change as a “hoax.”
Public Safety & Guns
The candidate emphasizes addressing public safety by supporting law enforcement and cracking down on crime; his campaign platform lists addiction and public safety programs alongside explicit support for law enforcement. The campaign platform does not provide detailed positions on specific firearms policies (for example, background checks, assault weapons, or red flag laws).
News
AINews Summary
Last updatedMay 19, 2026
Mike Lindell is in the news because the Minnesota Freedom Caucus has filed impeachment articles against Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison over allegations tied to fraud in social services funds. The move accuses them of ignoring and covering up the alleged scheme, including claims that money was funneled to terrorist networks. The impeachment effort still faces major hurdles in the Minnesota legislature.
en.wikipedia.org+52
Polls
Minnesota Republican Governor nominee?
Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne
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We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
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