Lisa Demuth Defeats Trump-Endorsed Mike Lindell in Minnesota GOP Governor Primary

Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth overcame Trump-backed businessman Mike Lindell to capture the Republican nomination for governor, advancing to a general election matchup against Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth won the Republican nomination for governor after defeating Mike Lindell, overcoming a rival who entered the primary with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, a national political profile and leads in nearly every pre-election poll.

The Associated Press called the Republican contest for Demuth at 11:27 p.m. At that point, Demuth held 45.1% of the vote, compared with 31.0% for Lindell, with 69% of precincts reporting.

The result sends Demuth into the general election against Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who faced no significant opposition in her primary.

Lindell had entered the Republican contest with several advantages that appeared likely to make him a formidable candidate. He was already well known nationally, had Trump’s support and had established himself as a prominent figure among grassroots conservatives.

Polling also suggested Lindell was positioned to win. Nearly every survey conducted before the primary placed him ahead of the field, although his advantages remained in the single digits.

Demuth ultimately outperformed those expectations decisively enough for the race to be called with nearly one-third of precincts still outstanding.

Lindell first became widely known through his pillow company before assuming a more prominent role in national Republican politics. He later became a vocal supporter of Trump’s claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election and subsequently sought the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee.

His gubernatorial campaign combined that national recognition with support from Trump, whose endorsement was expected to strengthen Lindell’s prospects among Republican primary voters.

Instead, Demuth secured the nomination and ended Lindell’s bid to become Minnesota’s Republican candidate for governor.

The outcome also represents a setback for Trump’s endorsement record, with Republican voters choosing Demuth over the candidate backed by the president.

Demuth will now move from the Republican primary into a statewide contest against Klobuchar as the two parties compete for control of the Minnesota governor’s office.