In a fiery livestream straight from his MyPillow factory, CEO Mike Lindell—the outspoken Trump die-hard and election denial poster child—threw his hat into the ring for Minnesota governor on December 11, 2025, vowing to reclaim the state with “common sense” and crush what he calls rampant fraud. The announcement, beamed out on LindellTV and Steve Bannon’s War Room, pits the pillow peddler against a packed Republican primary and Democratic incumbent Tim Walz in the 2026 showdown.
Lindell, 64, didn’t mince words during the 8-minute reveal in Shakopee, a Minneapolis suburb. “They tried to cancel me for standing with President Trump, especially after 2020. Well, it didn’t work. I’m still standing. MyPillow is still standing,” he boomed to a crowd of supporters waving MAGA flags beside his gleaming campaign bus. “And now, I will stand for you as the next governor of the great state of Minnesota.” His pitch? Slashing election “irregularities,” boosting manufacturing jobs, and fighting “woke” policies—echoing his years as a leading voice in the “Stop the Steal” movement.
This isn’t Lindell’s first flirtation with politics. The Chaska native, who built a $300 million empire hawking pillows on late-night TV, has funneled millions into Trump super PACs and hosted “cyber symposiums” peddling baseless 2020 fraud claims. He’s faced blowback: MyPillow lost big-box retailers like Kohl’s and Bed Bath & Beyond, plus a $1.3 million defamation fine in 2023 for Dominion Voting Systems smears. Yet, Lindell laughed it off: “I can’t self-fund. I don’t have any money left. But with your help, we’ll win big.” Donations are already pouring in via mikelindellgov.com, his freshly launched campaign site.
The Republican field just got rowdier. Lindell joins state Sen. Jim Abeler, former GOP chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan, and others gunning for the nomination in a primary that’s shaping up as a Trump loyalty litmus test. Walz, fresh off national buzz as Kamala Harris’s 2024 running mate, holds a double-digit lead in early polls, but Minnesota’s purple tilt—flipping blue in recent cycles—keeps the door cracked for a MAGA surge.
Reactions lit up X like a Black Friday sale. Lindell’s post announcing the bid racked up 3,000+ likes in hours, with fans cheering: “Finally, a fighter for MN!” Critics piled on, dubbing it a “circus act.” One viral reply: “From pillows to the Capitol—next he’ll claim the governorship was stuffed.” Bannon, hosting the stream, hyped Lindell as “the ultimate disruptor,” while DFL chairwoman Jackie Schafer quipped, “Minnesota deserves better than conspiracy TV.”
Political watchers see national ripples. “Lindell’s run amplifies the GOP’s post-Trump identity crisis,” says Dr. Rachel Klein, a Midwest politics prof at the University of Minnesota. “In a swing state like this, his fraud fixation could mobilize the base but alienate moderates—think 2022 midterms on steroids.” For U.S. readers, it’s a microcosm of 2026’s battleground stakes: Walz’s progressive wins on abortion rights and paid leave versus Lindell’s red-meat appeals on borders and ballots. Economy-wise, his pro-manufacturing bent could juice Rust Belt jobs, but experts warn his legal baggage (ongoing lawsuits) risks donor jitters.
As filings hit the books and rallies ramp up, Lindell’s pillow-powered pivot has Minnesota’s political machine humming. Will the MyPillow guy flip the script on Walz, or flop like his election “proof”? One thing’s sure: The Land of 10,000 Lakes just got a whole lot louder.
*By Sam Michael*
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