Mike Lindell, a pillow salesman and election denier, has offered to fund a recount and audit of every paper ballot in Minnesota's Republican gubernatorial primary, which he lost last week to Lisa Demuth by roughly 11 percentage points. Under Minnesota law, candidates can request a complete hand count if they fall outside the margin required for an automatic state-funded recount, and Lindell plans to use this right "to the full extent of the law". The estimated cost of such a recount would be around $825,000, according to Lauren Bethke, general counsel for Minnesota's secretary of state. Lindell's move follows years of making election-related claims, including spreading the conspiracy theory that Trump's 2020 defeat was due to a rigged and stolen election.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-20,
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Story summary
Mike Lindell, the founder of MyPillow and a supporter of former President Trump, has offered to personally fund a recount and audit of every paper ballot in Minnesota's Republican gubernatorial primary. The election was held on August 11 and Lisa Demuth, the Minnesota House speaker, won with a margin of about 11 percentage points, far beyond the 0.25% threshold that would trigger an automatic state-funded recount. Lindell claims to have the right under Minnesota law to seek a complete hand count of every ballot, even though his loss was significant enough not to require a recount.
Written for “Minnesota Gubernatorial Recount Bid” on 2026-08-31,
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Leaning score +0.35 for article 1537 (medium confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-08-21
The pillow salesman, Trump supporter and election denier Mike Lindell has offered to personally fund a recount and audit of every paper ballot cast in Minnesota’s Republican gubernatorial primary, which he lost last week.
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he → offer → which
Lindell’s announcement on Wednesday escalates his bid to challenge the results of last week’s vote, after finishing a distant second to the Minnesota house speaker, Lisa Demuth.
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announcement → escalate → speaker
The businessman and MyPillow founder pointed to a Minnesota law which he said gives candidates the ability to seek a complete hand count – even when the results fall well outside the margin required for a state-funded recount.
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results → point → recount
“One of the few good election laws Minnesota does have is that as a candidate, I have the right to completely audit and hand-count every ballot in the state,” Lindell said in a press release, adding that he intends to use that right “to the full extent of the law”.
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he → have → law
Despite a glowing endorsement from Trump, Lindell was defeated by Demuth by roughly 11 percentage points in the Republican primary for governor on 11 August, a margin far beyond the 0.25% threshold that would trigger an automatic state-funded recount.
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that → defeat → recount
Because the gap is wider than the threshold, Lindell would need to formally request the recount and cover its cost himself.
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Lindell → need → cost
The announcement comes after Lindell refused last week to concede the Republican gubernatorial primary, despite trailing by a double-digit margin.
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Lindell → come → margin
The Associated Press called the race for Demuth, the Minnesota House speaker, late on election night.
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Press → call → night
Lindell’s campaign alleged “irregularities identified in election-night electronic reporting data” in the news release.
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campaign → allege → release
Minnesota secretary of state general counsel Lauren Bethke estimated in a Tuesday letter to Lindell that a full recount of the governor and lieutenant governor races would cost roughly $825,000, according to CBS News.
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recount → estimate → News
The letter reportedly gives him until Monday, 24 August, to get both the request and payment to the secretary of state’s office.
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letter → give → office
The latest challenge follows years of election-related claims by Lindell.
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challenge → follow → Lindell
He built his political career around the lie that Trump’s 2020 defeat resulted from a rigged and stolen election, and has said he spent tens of millions of dollars pursuing that conspiracy theory through lawsuits, documentaries and conferences.
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he → build → lawsuits
Courts repeatedly rejected those claims.
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Courts → reject → claims
Last month, Lindell settled a $1.3bn defamation lawsuit filed by voting technology company Liberty Vote, formerly known as Dominion Voting Systems, over the stolen-election claims.
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Lindell → settle → claims
