Mike Lindell spotlights Trump ties in Minnesota governor primary after GOP convention backs rival

MyPillow founder Mike Lindell is pressing his case to Minnesota Republican voters ahead of Tuesday’s primary for governor by highlighting his ties to President Donald Trump and the Trump endorsement that he said helped validate his candidacy. The push comes as Lindell faces opposition from a fellow Republican candidate that received backing from the Minnesota Republican Party at the state’s convention, according to the report.

The NPR report said Trump endorsed Lindell for the upcoming primary, an argument Lindell is now using to reinforce the idea that his campaign aligns with the direction of the Trump administration. Lindell, who is also known for his business brand and frequent media appearances, framed the Trump connection as central to his bid for the nomination.

At the same time, the report noted that the Minnesota Republican convention backed one of Lindell’s opponents. That convention support reflects the party’s internal process for rallying delegates and indicating preferred candidates, and it sets up a contrast for voters deciding which Republican to nominate in the primary.

The backdrop to the nomination fight is Minnesota’s statewide political environment, where the report describes it as a place Trump has lost. That context matters for how candidates position themselves to win a nomination and for how party leaders assess which figures can carry votes in a general election that typically includes broader constituencies.

Lindell’s strategy, as described by NPR, focuses on personal and political connections to Trump and on portraying those ties as evidence of viability within the Republican Party’s current national alignment. His opponents’ alternative argument, by contrast, centers on the party’s earlier decision-making at the convention level rather than on the Trump endorsement alone.

For voters, the immediate practical question is whether the Trump-backed message persuades enough primary voters to overcome the convention’s endorsement of another candidate. The Minnesota primary functions as the decisive step for selecting the Republican nominee, with the convention support serving as a prior intra-party report rather than a final vote.

Tuesday’s primary will determine which Republican candidate moves forward, and the outcome will shape the field for the general election campaign that follows, including how the eventual nominee will explain their relationship to the Trump administration and to Minnesota’s party infrastructure.

If Lindell wins the nomination, his campaign will likely frame his bid as aligned with the Trump endorsement referenced by NPR. If he loses, the candidate backed by the convention will take the nomination forward, and the contrast between convention backing and Trump endorsement will likely remain a point of discussion among party members and voters.