MyPillow founder and CEO Mike Lindell has announced he will run for Minnesota governor in 2026, seeking the Republican nomination to challenge DFL incumbent Gov. Tim Walz.<\/p>\n
Lindell, 64, last week filed the paperwork to potentially run, but at the time said he hadn’t yet 100% decided on a gubernatorial run. On Thursday, he made it official.<\/p>\n
“After prayerful consideration and hearing from so many of you across our great state, I’ve made the decision to enter the 2026 gubernatorial race,” Lindell\u00a0posted on social media<\/a>\u00a0Thursday. “I’m still standing and I’ll stand for you.”<\/p>\n Lindell is a\u00a0noted ally of President Trump<\/a>\u00a0who gained national attention for his debunked claims that the 2020 election was rigged.\u00a0 He joins a field of about a dozen GOP candidates seeking the party’s nomination, including state House Republican speaker\u00a0Lisa Demuth<\/a>, 2022 gubernatorial nominee Dr. Scott Jensen,\u00a0who lost to Walz in the 2022 midterms<\/a>, as well as Minnesota Rep.\u00a0Kristin Robbins<\/a>,\u00a0Kendall Qualls<\/a>\u00a0and defense lawyer\u00a0Chris Madel<\/a>.<\/p>\n All of them hope to become the candidate to take on Walz, a Democrat, who hopes to an unprecedented third consecutive four-year term as Minnesota’s governor.<\/p>\n “We’ve seen what happens when we elect a con man to the highest office in America,”\u00a0Walz said Thursday<\/a>, responding to Lindell’s announcement. “We can’t let it happen here in Minnesota.”<\/p>\n Lindell launched a\u00a0campaign website<\/a>, listing his main campaign priorities as including stopping fraud, fixing “failing school systems,” stopping “exploding property taxes” and “send(ing) illegal immigrants back.”<\/p>\n “Those who know me know I’m up to the task. I’ve had my finger on the pulse of my business operations, and we’ve all heard of the rampant fraud on the watch of Tim Walz. Either he was grossly negligent, incompetent or complicit with the fraud,” Lindell said in a video posted on social media.<\/p>\n “What does Tim Walz know the operation of Minnesota’s government programs?” he added.<\/p>\n He has faced numerous legal issues over the years, including being held liable court for state statements he made related to the 2020 election. A federal judge this year ruled that Lindell\u00a0defamed election technology company Smartmatic<\/a>\u00a0after he alleged their voting machines rigged the 2020 presidential election in favor of former President Joe Biden. Lindell made similar unfounded claims against Dominion Voting Systems and a jury found he defamed\u00a0a former employee of that company<\/a>\u00a0when called him a “traitor” on his online media platform.<\/p>\n