Minnesota Supreme Court Blocks Lindell's Push for Transparent GOP Primary Recount
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The state's highest court denied MyPillow founder Mike Lindell's effort to ensure election integrity through a comprehensive recount, leaving Lisa Demuth's questionable victory unchallenged.
On Saturday, the Minnesota Supreme Court sided with the political establishment, denying patriot Mike Lindell’s petition for a full hand recount of the August 11 Republican primary for governor. Despite widespread concerns about election integrity, state House Speaker Lisa Demuth’s win by approximately 45,000 votes was rubber-stamped by Chief Justice Natalie E. Hudson, who claimed the secretary of state’s office and the State Canvassing Board had provided a recount plan that supposedly complied with state law, dismissing Lindell’s well-founded allegations of irregularities.
Lindell, a staunch defender of election transparency, told NBC News he intends to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court and is demanding election data from all 87 counties through a Freedom of Information Act request, seeking an independent review that the current system refuses to provide.
Lindell had previously committed to funding an $825,000 full recount but rightly refused to pay after discovering the plan would only count ballots cast for him and Demuth, ignoring the rest of the seven-person field. In response, he sued the secretary of state’s office and the canvassing board, exposing their “bait-and-switch” tactics and lack of transparency.
The secretary of state’s office insisted the recount plan, approved on August 18, follows state statutes and past procedures, but many conservatives remain skeptical. Chief Justice Hudson dismissed Lindell’s legitimate request for a recount of both Democratic and Republican primary ballots, claiming it “confuses the purpose of a manual recount with an election contest.” The approved plan sorts ballots by primary and then divides Republican ballots into three piles—Lindell, Demuth, and other candidates—purporting to ensure all votes are counted, but leaving room for doubt.
The court’s ruling cements Demuth’s primary win and her spot on the November ballot against Democratic nominee Sen. Amy Klobuchar, despite unresolved concerns about the process. Lindell continues to demand a full hand recount of all primary ballots, citing serious anomalies linked to electronic voting machines and standing up for the rights of voters who deserve a fair and transparent election.