Lindell Clings to Defeat as Demuth Surges Ahead in Minnesota GOP Primary
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Right-wing conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell refuses to accept clear defeat to Lisa Demuth in the Minnesota Republican primary, echoing anti-democratic tactics.
Lisa Demuth, the speaker of the Minnesota House, was declared the winner of the Republican gubernatorial primary after the Associated Press called the race late Tuesday night. With nearly all ballots counted, Demuth led Lindell by roughly 45,000 votes, holding 43.4% of the vote to Lindell's 32.5%. Kendall Qualls, the state party-backed candidate, remained in third place.
Despite the decisive margin, Lindell, notorious for spreading baseless conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, refused to concede. On his livestream, he questioned the Associated Press's authority to declare a winner and irresponsibly insisted that “hundreds of thousands of votes remain uncounted.” He added, “I’m not going to give up this race until the votes are counted.” Lindell did not respond to a request for comment on any further actions he might take, continuing a pattern of undermining trust in democratic institutions.
Lindell, who recently settled a $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit brought by voting-technology company Liberty Vote for his false claims about election fraud, also faced scrutiny over his voter-registration status, as he was still registered in Texas at the time of the election. Minnesota’s same-day registration rules allowed him to appear on the ballot, highlighting loopholes exploited by right-wing figures.
President Donald Trump, himself a promoter of election denialism, publicly urged Minnesota Republicans to support Lindell, praising his stance on so-called “free and fair” elections. Demuth, who would become the first woman to win the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Minnesota, said the victory was a milestone but noted that her campaign’s work was “not done yet.” She will face Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar in the November general election for the governorship, offering voters a clear choice between democracy and reactionary politics.