The Minnesota GOP primary for governor was won by Lisa Demuth, an upset over Trump‑backed irc Mike Lindell. NBC News projects that Demuth’s victory came after Lindell, the My Pillow founder and election conspiracy theorist, had been leading in limited polls and received President იპ Trump’s endorsement.

Lindell’s campaign faltered in the final weeks as GOP members questioned his residency and sought a nominee who could beat Democrat Amy Klobuchar. Legal challenges and accusations of fraud in Medicaid and pandemic aid further weakened Lindell’s standing.

Klobuchar entered the race after Democratic Gov. Tim Walz dropped his re‑election bid, citing the fraud allegations. At a Minnesota Farmfest forum, she criticized all GOP candidates as “rubber stamps” of Trump, while Demuth blamed “incompetent Democrat control” for the fraud cases and highlighted the Fraud Prevention Agency Oversight Committee she formed.

Minnesota remains a blue state, with Vice President Kamala Harris winning the state by about 4 percentage points in the last presidential election, underscoring the challenge Republicans face in November.