Minnesota Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth has won the Republican primary for governor, surpassing candidates who had received endorsements from both the state Republican Party and former President Donald Trump.
Mike Lindell, the MyPillow CEO and a prominent figure who denied the results of the 2020 presidential election, was among the Trump-backed candidates who sought the nomination. Lindell had previously touted his connection with Trump, stating he had an advantage because he could work with the President. He stepped down as CEO of MyPillow earlier this month to concentrate on his gubernatorial campaign.
Lindell, like Trump, has been vocal in his challenges to the 2020 election outcome, which saw Joe Biden defeat Trump. Lindell has faced ongoing defamation lawsuits related to his claims about voting machines. In June, a jury ordered him to pay $2.3 million to a Dominion Voting Systems executive for spreading false and damaging information about the 2020 election.
Trump has not won Minnesota in any of his past presidential bids. The results of this primary indicate that the Republican Party's chosen candidates did not ultimately prevail in their bids for the state's gubernatorial nomination.