Trump's Golden Touch Tarnished After Endorsement Losses
Lisa Demuth, speaker of the Minnesota House, defeated Trump-endorsed Mike Lindell in Tuesday's Republican gubernatorial primary. Lindell refused to concede after the race was called.
- 43.4% went to Demuth; Lindell received 32.5%, with 98% of votes counted.
- 45,000-plus votes separated the two candidates, according to vote totals.
- Trump posted on Truth Social urging Minnesota Republicans to vote for Lindell on election day.
- 7 Trump-endorsed Republicans have lost 2026 primaries, per MSNBC's count.
Why it matters: Minnesota Democrats are now guaranteed a female governor. Amy Klobuchar won the Democratic primary and will face Demuth in November.
- Minnesota has not elected a Republican governor since 2011.
- Lindell's loss follows Trump-backed defeats in Tennessee, Michigan, Iowa, and Georgia gubernatorial and congressional primaries this cycle.
How 17 sources split on this story
Where they split: Whether Lindell's loss reflects a meaningful erosion of Trump's endorsement power or is a one-off explained by Minnesota's blue-state politics and Lindell's specific liabilities.
Forbes11mMike Lindell Won’t Concede Minnesota Primary Loss, Alleging ‘Anomalies’
Sky News9hRepublican candidate Mike Lindell third Trump endorsee to lose in US primaries
USA Today2hTrump-backed Mike Lindell refuses to concede Minnesota election lossLeft coverage, 8 sources: The left frames the result as evidence Trump's endorsement power is weakening and his political standing is deteriorating, describing the loss as a major embarrassment.
MSNBC4hLindell flop in Minnesota’s GOP gubernatorial primary adds to Trump’s endorsement woes
Raw Story43mMike Lindell loses Minnesota's Republican gubernatorial primaryDKDaily Kos58mSorry, Trump—Republicans don’t want a pillow salesman as governor
The Independent2hTrump’s golden touch is tarnished after rough nights for ‘My Pillow guy,’ Lindsey Graham sister and anti-Muslim OglesTNRThe New Republic18hRepublican Voters Keep Rejecting Trump-Endorsed Candidates
HuffPost14hTrump-Endorsed ‘MyPillow Guy’ Mike Lindell Loses Minnesota Governor Primary
Political Wire11hMike Lindell Refuses to Concede
Talking Points Memo3hFollowing His Primary Loss, Lindell Has Questions About the NumbersRight coverage, 5 sources: The right frames the loss as a product of Lindell's specific flaws and Minnesota's deep-blue environment, cautioning against reading a broader anti-Trump message into the results.
Washington Examiner6hMike Lindell and Darline Graham Nordone show limits to Trump’s endorsement power
Breitbart News54mMike Lindell Refuses to Concede 'Until the Votes Are Counted'
Conservative Treehouse5hAfter Advocating for Illegal Alien Leniency and Amnesty, Mike Lindell Gets Crushed in Minnesota Primary - The Last Refuge
Just the News4hMike Lindell alleges voting anomalies in Minnesota Republican governor's primary, refuses to concede
The Washington Times4hMyPillow founder Mike Lindell refuses to concede in Minnesota's GOP gubernatorial primaryWhat’s next: Demuth faces Klobuchar in November in a state Republicans have lost for 15 years.
- Lindell has not conceded and is pointing to outstanding ballots as grounds to wait.
- Will Lindell ultimately concede, or will he pursue formal challenges to the results?
- Does the pattern of Trump endorsement losses this cycle reflect declining influence, or race-specific factors?