Overview
- At a Rocky Mount, North Carolina, rally Friday, Trump said Lindell "deserves to be governor of Minnesota," praising his ally's fight over the 2020 election.
- Lindell formally launched his campaign on Dec. 11 after filing paperwork earlier this month to run against Democratic Gov. Tim Walz in 2026.
- The Republican field includes Lisa Demuth, Scott Jensen, Kristin Robbins, Kendall Qualls and Chris Madel, with a party endorsing convention in spring 2026 before the Aug. 11 primary.
- Lindell’s stated platform focuses on stopping fraud, repairing schools, curbing property taxes and deporting undocumented immigrants.
- He campaigns under legal and financial pressure after a federal judge ruled against him in Smartmatic’s defamation suit and a jury found he defamed a former Dominion employee, which he says hurt MyPillow’s business.