Confirmed: Mike Lindell formally announces bid for Minnesota governor: Watch his speech here

Chaska, Minnesota – December 11, 2025 – MyPillow and LindellTV CEO Mike Lindell formally announced his candidacy for governor of Minnesota this morning, entering the 2026 race after filing paperwork earlier this week.

Lindell, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, joins a growing Republican primary field that includes House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, businessman Brad Kohler, and former 2022 gubernatorial nominee Dr. Scott Jensen. 

Minnesota has drawn national scrutiny in recent months over a large-scale Somali-linked fraud scheme involving hundreds of millions in taxpayer funds, as well as President Trump’s ongoing public criticism of Democratic Governor Tim Walz.

In his announcement speech, Lindell positioned himself as an outsider business leader ready to tackle waste, fraud, and crime. “I will stand for you as the next governor of the state of Minnesota,” he declared.

Among his key policy pledges:

– Ending what he called “rampant fraud under Governor Walz,” pointing to more than $1 billion already uncovered and whistleblower estimates of up to $8 billion total.

– Restoring law and order: “If you are here illegally, now is the time to leave. Or you’re going to be sent back where you came from.” He also said those “stealing from Minnesota taxpayers…need to be put in prison.”

– Halting tax and fee increases: “We need to stop the explosion of property taxes…excessive fees…and unfair sales tax.”

– Cutting regulations that “strangle the entrepreneurial spirit” and defending businesses of all sizes.

– Improving education by “making Minnesota’s education system one of the best in the nation” and empowering parents and teachers with school choice.

– Expanding addiction-recovery support, citing his own recovery and the Lindell Recovery Network he founded.

Lindell sharply contrasted himself with career politicians: “I don’t want to be like a politician…It’s professional politicians that have gotten us into all this trouble over the last five years. I want to be a leader, not a politician. I want to solve problems.”

He concluded by vowing to protect “our God-given rights—the right to life, the right to liberty, the right to pursue happiness,” adding, “If you all stand with me as the next governor of Minnesota, our future will be amazing.”

The Republican primary for governor is expected to be highly competitive, with the winner facing Governor Walz in November 2026.

Watch Mike’s speech here: