Chaska, Minnesota - MAGA Republican Mike Lindell is still refusing to concede after losing his gubernatorial primary bid, and is now going to great lengths to try to prove he was actually the victor.
In a press release published on Tuesday, Lindell's office announced the politician's plans to "privately fund a statewide recount and audit on every ballot cast" on August 11, 2026, "citing irregularities in election-night electronic reporting data."
"One of the few good election laws Minnesota does have is that as a candidate, I have the right to completely audit and hand-count every ballot in the state," Lindell said.
His plans come after the MyPillow founder lost his primary bid to state House Speaker Lisa Demuth by 11 points, despite having a glowing endorsement from President Donald Trump.
He predictably refused to concede.
Lindell is best known for aggressively pushing Trump's stolen election conspiracy theories – claims he has lost massive lawsuits over.
In June 2025, he was ordered to pay $2.3 million in damages to Dominion Voting Systems, a voting machine company he falsely claimed flipped votes from Trump to Joe Biden in 2020, allowing Democrats to win.
Despite that legal hit, Lindell is continuing to push such claims. He said that even if his recount "does not overturn" the results, he believes it will serve as "a gateway to getting rid of these electronic voting machines."
According to CBS News, Minnesota secretary of state general counsel Lauren Bethke said in a letter to Lindell that the recount could cost around $825,000, and gave him until Monday, August 24 to turn over his request and payment.