Mike Lindell Fails to Secure Republican Nomination for Minnesota Governor
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Former MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell did not obtain the Republican Party’s nomination for Minnesota governor, while incumbent Governor Tim Walz announced he will not run for a third term amid a large welfare fraud investigation.
Mike Lindell, the former chief executive of MyPillow, was unable to win the Republican nomination for Minnesota governor. The state party raised questions about his residency, noting that he had lived in Texas as recently as last year and only returned to Minnesota shortly before the one-year residency requirement for the November 3 election. A judge also found probable cause that Lindell may have breached campaign regulations by distributing pillows bearing his campaign slogan at a July Fourth parade.
Lindell recently settled a $1 billion defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems, which had sued him for alleging the company manipulated the 2020 presidential election. He stepped down from his role at MyPillow amid the legal dispute.
Separately, Governor Tim Walz announced in January that he will not seek a third term. Walz cited the need to focus on his duties as governor and address a federal investigation into a large welfare and social-services fraud scheme that prosecutors estimate could involve billions of dollars. The investigation covers multiple publicly funded programs, including child services, education, daycares and food assistance. Walz acknowledged the scale of the alleged theft could reach into the billions, though he disputed the highest estimates.
"I am stepping aside to concentrate on governing and to help resolve the fallout from the ongoing investigation," Walz said.
The case has drawn national political attention, with some Republican figures using the investigation to criticize Walz’s administration and its outreach to Minnesota’s Somali community.