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MyPillow's Mike Lindell says he's running for Minnesota governor because "I fix problems"

By
Esme Murphy
Esme Murphy
Reporter/Anchor
Esme Murphy, a reporter and Sunday morning anchor for WCCO-TV, has been a member of the WCCO-TV staff since December 1990. She is also a weekend talk show host on WCCO Radio. Born and raised in New York City, Esme ventured into reporting after graduating from Harvard University.
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Esme Murphy

/ CBS Minnesota

The November 2026 election may be months away, but the selection process of party nominees in key races starts on Feb. 3, when both the Minnesota GOP and DFL have caucuses. 

Among the most important races: the one for governor. On the Democratic side, things are up in the air after Gov. Tim Walz dropped his reelection bid, though Sen. Amy Klobuchar made a first step in a gubernatorial run this week, filing preliminary paperwork with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board. 

On the Republican side, it's a competitive race with a dozen candidates. Four candidates are consistently finishing strong in recent straw polls. In a party poll last month, businessman Kendall Qualls was first, followed by Speaker Lisa Demuth in second, MyPillow mogul Mike Lindell in third and attorney Chris Madel in fourth. 

"I love Minnesota. I was born and raised here, and I think that I've seen so many problems that I believe this is what I do. I fix problems," said Mike Lindell. 

Lindell's campaign got a boost in December when President Trump said Lindell "deserves to be governor" of Minnesota. Lindell says he does not take that as an endorsement. 

In recent years, Lindell's loyalty to Mr. Trump has cost him. Big box retailers dropped his pillows after Lindell repeatedly backed the president's claim that the 2020 election was rigged. 

Lindell says he's not bankrupt despite having two big judgments awarded against him, including one for $2 million and another for $5 million in cases involving the 2020 election. The $5 million award was overturned. 

"MyPillow was the most attacked company in history," Lindell told WCCO.

Lindell says his top priority as governor would be investigating state programs for fraud and eliminating sales tax on brick-and-mortar stores so they can compete with the internet. 

"I want to eliminate sales tax so people have a reason to go into the box stores," he said.

As governor, he indicated he would remain loyal to Mr. Trump, who he said is doing a good job for Minnesota, including with the immigration crackdown that continues to lead to protests and clashes in the street. He said he "absolutely" supports ICE actions in the state.

"I think one of the biggest concerns that we have here is that our protester laws are not being addressed," he said.

WCCO is working to ensure we feature interviews with all major gubernatorial hopefuls.

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