Mike Lindell entered Minnesota’s Republican gubernatorial primary with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, national MAGA recognition and a lead in limited public polling.
He still lost.
The former MyPillow chief executive and relentless promoter of false 2020 election claims was defeated Tuesday by state lawmaker Lisa Demuth, abruptly ending his bid to become Minnesota’s next governor.
NBC News and CBS News projected Demuth as the Republican nominee after she captured more than 44 percent of the vote.
For Lindell, the defeat was more than an ordinary campaign setback. It represented a public rejection in his home state despite the backing of the most powerful figure in Republican politics—and it immediately triggered celebration and mockery across social media.
“Say good night, MyPillow guy!” former Obama White House adviser David Axelrod wrote on X.
“Despite @realDonaldTrump’s endorsement, Lindell loses his @GOP race for governor of Minnesota,” he added.
Lindell launched his campaign in December and attempted to convert years of loyalty to Trump into support from Republican primary voters. He stepped down as MyPillow’s CEO this month to concentrate on the race, signaling that his gubernatorial ambitions were more than a publicity exercise.
His political identity, however, remained inseparable from his years-long effort to undermine public confidence in the 2020 presidential election.
Lindell repeatedly claimed that voting technology had been used to steal the election from Trump. Those allegations were rejected by election officials, cybersecurity experts and courts, and no evidence ever emerged of fraud capable of changing the outcome.
A federal judge later found Lindell liable for defaming voting-technology company Smartmatic through false claims that its machines helped rig the election.
Yet among Trump’s supporters, Lindell’s willingness to continue promoting the stolen-election narrative made him a recognizable and celebrated figure. Trump rewarded that loyalty with his endorsement in the Minnesota race.
The endorsement was not enough.
Demuth’s victory was considered an upset because Lindell had led in the limited polling available before Election Day. Her win suggests that even many Republican voters who remain supportive of Trump were unwilling to make Lindell their nominee for governor.
The outcome also gave Trump’s opponents an opportunity to question the value of his endorsement as the president approaches the latter half of his second term.
Democratic strategist Mike Nellis called Lindell’s defeat a “HUGE embarrassment” for Trump.
“He looks more and more like a lame duck every single day,” Nellis wrote.
That conclusion may be premature. Trump retains extraordinary influence over Republican voters and candidates, and a single primary defeat cannot establish that his control of the party has collapsed.
Presidential endorsements are influential, not invincible. Local organizations, candidate quality, campaign spending and state-specific political dynamics can all outweigh support from a national figure.
Still, the symbolism of Lindell’s loss is difficult to ignore.
Few political surrogates tied themselves more completely to Trump’s election grievances. Lindell spent years using his public platform, personal wealth and media appearances to promote claims favorable to the president.
Minnesota Republicans were presented with perhaps the purest loyalty candidate in the field.
They chose someone else.
The result inspired an immediate wave of pillow-themed jokes.
“Poor Mike Lindell,” political scholar Norman Ornstein wrote. “He won’t sleep well tonight.”
Ornstein suggested the sleeplessness could stem from losing the primary despite Trump’s endorsement—or “more likely, it’s because of his pillow.”
Radio host Matt Forney offered a harsher assessment, claiming that Minnesota Republicans had grown tired of nominating losing candidates.
“Mike Lindell got trounced,” Forney wrote, while also mocking Royce White’s distant third-place finish in the state’s Republican Senate primary.
The jokes highlighted the unusual difficulty Lindell faced in transitioning from celebrity activist to viable statewide candidate.
Being famous in conservative media can help a candidate raise money and dominate attention. It does not necessarily build the coalition required to win an election.
Minnesota has leaned Democratic in statewide races, making November’s general election difficult for any Republican nominee.
Demuth is expected to face Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a deeply established political figure with a history of strong statewide performances. Her name recognition, fundraising capacity and long Minnesota record could make her a formidable opponent.
Some Democrats argued that Lindell would have been easier to defeat because of his election denialism and extensive controversies. His primary loss may therefore produce a more competitive Republican nominee, even if Demuth still begins the general election as an underdog.
That reality complicates the celebration among progressives.
Lindell’s defeat embarrassed one of Trump’s most visible allies, but it may also demonstrate that Minnesota Republicans are attempting to nominate candidates with broader appeal.
For Lindell, the immediate future is unclear.
His decision to leave MyPillow’s top job placed substantial personal and professional weight on the campaign. He must now determine whether to remain active in politics, return to business or continue promoting Trump’s election narratives from outside elected office.
What is clear is that the voters had the final word.
Trump gave Lindell his endorsement. Polls suggested he had a path. His years of loyalty gave him attention few first-time candidates could ever obtain.
But when Minnesota Republicans cast their ballots, the MyPillow founder’s political dream was put firmly to bed.
