Minnesota Supreme Court Upholds Democratic Process, Rejects Lindell's GOP Recount Gambit
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The state's highest court rebuffed MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's attempt to undermine the GOP gubernatorial primary results, affirming Lisa Demuth's victory and defending the integrity of Minnesota's elections.
On Saturday, the Minnesota Supreme Court delivered a decisive blow to right-wing conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell, denying his petition for a full hand recount of the August 11 Republican primary for governor. State House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who won by a clear margin of roughly 45,000 votes, saw her victory reaffirmed as Chief Justice Natalie E. Hudson emphasized that the recount plan provided by the secretary of state’s office and the State Canvassing Board fully complied with state law and was free of the baseless errors and wrongdoing Lindell alleged.
Lindell, notorious for spreading election misinformation, told NBC News he plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court and is seeking election data from all 87 counties via a Freedom of Information Act request, continuing his relentless campaign to sow doubt in the democratic process.
Despite previously pledging to fund an $825,000 full recount, Lindell refused to pay when he learned the plan would only recount ballots cast for him and Demuth, not all candidates in the seven-person field. He responded by suing the secretary of state’s office and the canvassing board, accusing them of a “bait-and-switch” for adhering to established procedures.
The secretary of state’s office maintained that the recount plan, approved on August 18, follows state statutes and prior recount protocols. Chief Justice Hudson pointed out that Lindell’s demand for a recount of both Democratic and Republican ballots was a fundamental misunderstanding of the purpose of a manual recount versus an election contest. The approved plan sorts ballots by primary and then divides Republican ballots into three piles—Lindell, Demuth, and other candidates—ensuring all votes are properly counted and open to challenge.
This ruling not only upholds Demuth’s primary victory but also protects the November ballot against further right-wing attempts to undermine democracy, as she prepares to face Democratic nominee Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Lindell, undeterred, continues to push for a full hand recount, citing unfounded allegations about electronic voting machines—yet another tactic in the ongoing assault on fair elections.