Mike Lindell is withholding an $825,000 payment required to recount Minnesota’s Republican primary for governor, claiming the Secretary of State’s office has proposed an unlawful recount process that would exclude votes for other candidates in the race.
The MyPillow founder, who lost the August 11 primary to House Speaker Lisa Demuth by about 45,000 votes, had until midnight Monday to submit the payment to formally request the discretionary recount. Instead, his campaign said the funds were “primed and ready to cover the costs” but would not be submitted because of a dispute over the planned scope.
State election officials proposed recounting only the votes cast for Lindell and Demuth, placing all other votes in a third column without recording them by name, according to the discretionary recount plan adopted by the State Canvassing Board on August 18. Lindell’s campaign argues this violates Minnesota law, which defines a recount as determining “the number of votes validly cast for the office or question to be recounted.”
“It’s not just about us two,” Lindell said in a phone interview with MPR News. “I’m not paying for what they’re calling a recount.” Lindell said he is seeking an emergency court injunction to block the recount plan and force the state to change its scope.
Minnesota law allows a losing candidate to request a discretionary recount at their own expense when the vote margin exceeds the threshold for a state-funded recount. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon’s office estimated the cost of a full statewide hand recount at $825,000. Lindell announced on August 19 that he would pay for the recount himself, citing alleged voting irregularities and his opposition to electronic ballot-counting machines.
The Secretary of State’s Office defended the recount plan, saying it follows state law and administrative rules. “Our office provided the contingent recount plan to Mr. Lindell after it was approved by the State Canvassing Board on August 18,” said office spokesperson Cassondra Knudson. “The plan follows state law and administrative rules on recount procedures and is consistent with plans of its kind for the past two decades.”
Lindell has pursued multiple legal challenges to the primary results. He and his running mate filed election contest litigation in district court and the state Supreme Court, though there have been no official findings of fraud or irregularity in the primary. Demuth’s win was certified by the State Canvassing Board on August 19, advancing her to the general election against Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar and Green Party candidate Steven Young.
Lindell’s recount request represents his latest effort to challenge election results. He became one of the country’s most prominent supporters of former President Donald Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election, and has faced a federal defamation lawsuit from voting technology company Smartmatic, which won summary judgment against him in 2025. A jury is now deciding whether to award the $1.5 billion in damages Smartmatic is seeking.
Minnesota recounts are not uncommon, though they typically occur in state legislative races and rarely result in significant changes to vote counts. In 2024, a recount in a Shakopee-area state House race upheld a 14-vote victory for DFL state Representative Brad Tabke after a legal challenge by Republican Aaron Paul.
Sources
- CBS Minnesota — Lindell’s withholding of the $825K payment and the scope dispute with the Secretary of State’s office
- MPR News — Lindell’s threat to seek an emergency court injunction and the details of his objection to the recount plan
- Minnesota Star Tribune — Lindell’s announcement of the recount, his loss margin of 45,000 votes, and background on his election fraud claims
- Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office — The recount cost estimate and the state’s defense of the recount plan
