Mike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow, an ally of President Donald Trump and creator of a hyperconservative news channel, announced on Thursday his intention to run for governor of Minnesota.
“Let me be clear, I don’t want to be like a politician,” Lindell said inside a MyPillow factory in a video on his platform, LindellTV.
“I will stand for you against the rampant fraud under Governor Walz. I will stand for you against crime and threats to the safety of your family,” Lindell said in reference to the state’s Democratic governor, Tim Walz, who is seeking a third term.
Walz is under scrutiny over his handling of a multi-million dollar fraud scandal involving the state’s Department of Social Services; he has defended his tenure, saying those responsible will be held accountable.
Lindell said he believed his experience running his pillow company had prepared him to run the state.
Lindell promoted false allegations of voter fraud after Trump lost his bid for reelection in 2020. The MyPillow CEO was later found guilty of defaming a former employee of Dominion Voting Systems and was forced to pay $2.3 million in damages.
Lindell is joining a crowded Republican field that includes state House Speaker Lisa Demuth and the 2022 Republican nominee for governor, Scott Jensen.
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