Minnesota Republicans have their apparent nominee for governor after state House Speaker Lisa Demuth won Tuesday night’s GOP primary, but the contest is not ending quietly.
With nearly all votes counted, Demuth led MyPillow founder Mike Lindell by a substantial margin, 43.4 percent to 32.5 percent. Demuth declared victory and immediately turned her attention toward the November general election, while Lindell refused to concede and raised concerns about Minnesota’s voting procedures.
Demuth will face Democratic nominee Sen. Amy Klobuchar in the race to replace retiring Democratic Gov. Tim Walz.
The Republican state lawmaker described Tuesday’s victory as a “major milestone,” while making clear that winning the primary was only the first hurdle.
“Tonight, Minnesotans made it clear they are ready for real change — at the top,” Demuth wrote. “It’s time to end the fraud, restore common sense to our state government and return Minnesota to a place that works for families, seniors, businesses and our next generation.”
She followed that up with the message Republicans wanted to hear: “Let’s go win in November!”
That November contest now becomes the main event for Minnesota Republicans hoping to take back the governor’s mansion. But before the political circus packs up and moves on, Lindell is making it clear that he believes there are unanswered questions about Tuesday’s primary.
Lindell specifically criticized Minnesota’s voting process and its voter identification requirements.
“No ID whatsoever. You stick the paper into the machine and it’s gone,” Lindell said.
“I have no record of who I voted for. They have no record of my ID. I’ve never seen anything like it. This is worse than I thought,” he added.
Lindell also rejected the Associated Press projection declaring Demuth the winner.
According to The Guardian, when a reporter on LindellTV informed him that the AP had called the election, Lindell questioned why the news organization should determine when the race was finished and argued that votes still remained to be counted.
“I’m not going to give up this race until the votes are counted,” Lindell said. “That’s nonsense.”
That distinction matters. Media organizations can project election winners based on vote totals, outstanding ballots and statistical analysis, but official election results ultimately come from state and local election authorities after the applicable canvassing and certification procedures. A candidate is also free to withhold a concession, since conceding is a political tradition rather than the mechanism that legally determines the winner.
Lindell’s refusal to concede adds another wrinkle to a Minnesota Republican primary that attracted national attention because of his candidacy and his years of outspoken involvement in election-related controversies.
What happens next depends on whether Lindell merely waits for the remaining votes and official process to play out or takes formal action challenging the results. According to the information available immediately after the primary, Lindell had not publicly detailed what specific steps he intended to take.
For Demuth, meanwhile, the political calendar will not wait around.
She now has to unite Republicans who backed different candidates during the primary and prepare for a general election against Klobuchar, a longtime statewide officeholder who has repeatedly won Minnesota elections.
Republicans have spent years arguing that Minnesota needs a different direction on taxes, government spending, public safety, fraud and economic policy. Demuth’s victory gives the party its candidate to make that case.
Lindell, however, clearly is not ready to close the book on Tuesday night.
The primary may have produced an apparent winner, but if Lindell follows through on his objections, Minnesota Republicans could have some unfinished business before the full focus shifts to November.
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