Mike Lindell lost the Minnesota Republican primary for governor by 11 percentage points. According to NBC News, the MyPillow founder now says he is prepared to spend upwards of $1 million on a full hand recount of the results from the August 11 contest.
Lindell finished behind Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth in the race. He had received an endorsement from President Donald Trump. On election night, Lindell refused to concede as the numbers showed Demuth moving toward a clear win.
He contacted the Minnesota secretary of state’s office after the election to learn the cost of a statewide recount. General counsel Lauren Bethke estimated the price at roughly $825,000 in a letter sent on Tuesday.
Lindell plans to file the request in person and send observers statewide
Lindell told NBC News on Wednesday that the total could rise higher once his own investigative team and other costs are added. He said the full effort could reach “upwards of $1 million.” The secretary of state’s office said it had not yet received a formal recount request as of Wednesday. Lindell has until Monday to file one along with a bond, cash, or surety that covers the estimated cost.
Lindell told the outlet that he plans to “personally go in there myself” on Monday to deliver the paperwork. He also said he intends to place observers at recount locations across the state. On election night, results still showed hundreds of thousands of votes left to count. Lindell said at the time, “I’m down by 20,000 votes with 277,000 votes left to count.” He added, “Now, would you give up if you got 277,000 left to count?”
Lindell has since said his team found irregularities in the election data. He has linked the recount effort to his long-running opposition to electronic voting machines. In a Tuesday press release, he stated, “Even if this recount and audit does not overturn my election for governor of Minnesota, I believe this is the gateway to getting rid of these electronic voting machines.”
Mediaite points out that Lindell has repeatedly promoted claims about voting machines and the 2020 presidential election. Those claims have led to costly defamation cases. In January, a federal judge ordered him to pay Smartmatic USA Corp. $56,369 in sanctions. An additional $500-per-day fine was imposed after he refused to pay.
According to NBC News, Lindell’s attorneys said on Wednesday that he still has no intention of paying those fees. They pointed to documents released by Trump after a July primetime address that focused on claims of voter fraud. The outlet noted that those documents revealed no evidence to support the assertions. Trump has faced direct questions on similar topics before, including when Trump leaves interview on election claims.
The secretary of state’s office has set a clear deadline and cost estimate for any formal recount request. Lindell has stated he will meet that deadline by appearing in person and covering the required amount. He has also said he will send observers to the recount sites. The primary results from August 11 currently stand with Demuth ahead by 11 percentage points. Trump’s endorsement carried weight in the race, yet recent actions show how Trump targets yet another Republican, which can create tension inside the party.
Published: Aug 20, 2026 08:24 am