Mike Lindell

MyPillow CEO, 2026 Gubernatorial Candidate - Seeking GOP gubernatorial nomination; placed third in February 4 precinct caucuses

Minnesota hasn't elected a Republican governor since 2006. Senator Amy Klobuchar wants to keep it that way. On January 29, 2026, she announced her candidacy for governor, entering the race three weeks after Tim Walz abruptly dropped his bid for a third term amid a fraud scandal that prosecutors say could total $9 billion in stolen state funds. Early polling shows Klobuchar leading all potential Republican opponents by 14 to 20 percentage points. On February 4, Minnesota's precinct caucuses revealed the GOP primary landscape: House Speaker Lisa Demuth won decisively with 31.8% of the vote, followed by businessman Kendall Qualls at 25.2% and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell at 17.6%. Hours after Klobuchar's January 29 announcement, Border Czar Tom Homan signaled the federal government may reduce its immigration enforcement presence in Minnesota if state officials cooperate—a development that could reshape the campaign's central tension.

Updated Feb 5

MyPillow CEO and prominent 2020 election conspiracy promoter - Facing defamation suits; still central in networks that elevated Peters and similar figures.

President Trump pardoned former Mesa County, Colorado clerk Tina Peters in December 2025 over her nine-year state prison sentence for letting election conspiracy activists copy voting-machine data. The pardon has no legal effect on her state conviction, yet it triggered an escalating confrontation: Peters' lawyers filed appeals demanding her release, the Trump administration was accused of retaliating against Colorado by withholding federal funds, and in a stunning turn, Democratic Governor Jared Polis called her sentence 'harsh' and signaled he may grant clemency.

Updated Jan 10