Mike Lindell says he will fund statewide hand recount after losing Minnesota GOP primary by double digits

Key Points:

• Mike Lindell, founder of MyPillow and second-place finisher in the Minnesota Republican gubernatorial primary, announced he will personally fund a full hand recount and audit of every paper ballot in the race, estimated to cost $825,000.
• Minnesota law allows candidates to request a full hand count of ballots even if the margin of loss exceeds the threshold for a state-funded recount, requiring the candidate to cover the cost and submit the request within five days of the canvass.
• Lindell lost to House Speaker Lisa Demuth by about 11 percentage points, far beyond the 0.25% margin for an automatic recount, and must submit an official recount request and payment by August 24 to proceed.
• The Secretary of State's office outlined a public and media-accessible recount plan, with Paul Linnell appointed as State Recount Official to oversee the process statewide.
• Despite no official evidence of fraud or irregularities, Lindell has previously promoted unproven claims about election manipulation, leading to recent legal settlements and ongoing defamation litigation related to voting technology companies.