MyPillow CEO and prominent conservative activist Mike Lindell has announced he is seriously considering a gubernatorial run in Minnesota’s 2026 election. The potential candidacy would position Lindell, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, against incumbent Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat who has held the office since 2019.
During a recent episode of The Mike Lindell Show, the businessman confirmed he is conducting preliminary research and polling to gauge support. “Everywhere I go, nobody wants Tim Walz,” Lindell said, emphasizing grassroots frustration with the current administration. He promised further announcements as he weighs a formal campaign launch.
Lindell, a vocal figure in the MAGA movement, rose to political prominence through his staunch support of Trump and his continued claims that the 2020 election was stolen. He operates FrankSpeech and Lindell TV, platforms that amplify conservative voices and political content.
Governor Walz, meanwhile, has not yet confirmed whether he will seek a third term. After declining to run for the open U.S. Senate seat in 2026, political observers expect Walz to focus on retaining his gubernatorial post. He previously secured re-election in 2022 with a comfortable margin and currently holds a 42.5 percent favorability rating according to RealClearPolitics.
Before taking the governor’s office, Walz served in the U.S. House of Representatives for over a decade. His national profile expanded in 2024 when then-Vice President Kamala Harris selected him as her running mate for the Democratic presidential ticket.
Lindell’s political ambitions have faced setbacks. In 2024, a court ordered him to pay $5 million to a computer forensics expert after Lindell’s election fraud claims were legally challenged and disproven. Still, he remains a popular figure among conservative grassroots activists and could energize the Republican base in Minnesota.
The 2026 gubernatorial election is scheduled for November 3. If Lindell enters the race, it would mark one of the most high-profile gubernatorial challenges in the country, pitting a polarizing businessman against a two-term Democratic governor in a key battleground state.
