Mike Lindell loses Minnesota primary, refuses to concede and alleges anomalies
Trump-backed MyPillow CEO claims voting irregularities after 10-point defeat to Lisa Demuth
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Photograph: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
What this story says
- Mike Lindell lost the Minnesota Republican gubernatorial primary to Lisa Demuth by a margin of 10 points, as reported by the Hindustan Times.
- Lindell is refusing to concede, alleging voting anomalies but offering no evidence, according to KSTP and the Independent.
- Donald Trump endorsed Lindell in the primary, but the defeat marks one of Trump’s biggest endorsement losses in the 2026 cycle, the Hindustan Times said.
- Lindell’s net worth is now estimated at $0 by Celebrity Net Worth, down from a prior estimate of $100-300 million, due to legal costs and lost retail partnerships.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 43 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 1 of the 44 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
70/100
Craft
87/100
Hype
18/100
44 sources · methodology
Missing from the right
Only 12 of the 43 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
A reader who follows the right would not have seen this. We report the absence rather than explain it: outlets choose what to cover for many reasons, and we have no evidence about which one applies here.
Mike Lindell, the founder of MyPillow and a prominent ally of Donald Trump, lost the Minnesota Republican gubernatorial primary on 11 August 2026. He was defeated by Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth. The margin was 10 points, according to the Hindustan Times. Trump had endorsed Lindell in the race, calling him someone who "deserves to be governor of Minnesota" and praising his loyalty to Trump’s claims about the 2020 election.
Lindell is refusing to concede the result. He claims there are "anomalies in the numbers" but has not provided evidence, as reported by KSTP’s Kirsten Swanson and cited by the Hindustan Times. The Independent noted that Lindell did not explain what the alleged anomalies were. No other outlet reported any irregularities in the vote count.
Lindell’s financial situation has drawn attention following the defeat. Celebrity Net Worth now estimates his net worth at $0, down from a previous estimate of $100-300 million. The Hindustan Times attributed the decline to legal expenses, lost retail partnerships, and the fallout from his election activism. Lindell himself said in a 2023 interview with CBS Minnesota that MyPillow lost more than $100 million in retail business after he promoted claims about the 2020 election. Major retailers, including Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Kohl’s, stopped carrying MyPillow products, according to the Hindustan Times.
What the coverage left out
No right-rated outlet ran this story at all. None of the digests from the left or centre mentioned that Lindell’s son Darren became CEO of MyPillow in 2020, a detail included in the Hindustan Times’ full report. The left-rated digests did not report Lindell’s net worth or the retailers that stopped carrying his products.
Coverage settled. We checked this 14 times and stopped on 18 Aug 2026, 02:30. The figures above are what it finished at.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
21 rated outlets
- Sixteen left-rated outlets carried the story. The digests agree Lindell lost the Minnesota Republican gubernatorial primary to Lisa Demuth by over 10 percentage points, refused to concede, and alleged unspecified voting anomalies. All named the Associated Press projection of Demuth’s win. None of the digests omitted Lindell’s refusal to concede or his claims of anomalies.
- Common Dreams and Crooks and Liars led on Lindell’s refusal to concede. Common Dreams quoted his statement that 265,000 votes remained uncounted and his dismissal of the AP. It also noted his history of election conspiracy theories, including false claims about Dominion Voting Systems in 2020. Crooks and Liars did not include these details in the material provided.
- The digests from The Independent, Star Tribune, and MPR News reported Lindell’s claim of anomalies without evidence. The Seattle Times’ digest noted Lindell was registered to vote in Texas, not Minnesota. Mediaite, HuffPost, and Talking Points Memo digests focused on reactions to Lindell’s refusal to concede, including mockery on *Morning Joe*.
Centre
10 rated outlets
- The three centre-rated reports all carried Lindell’s refusal to concede and his allegations of voting irregularities. The Hindustan Times, which published a full report, led on Lindell’s defeat as one of Trump’s biggest endorsement losses in the 2026 cycle. It also detailed his financial decline, his legal battles, and the retailers that stopped carrying MyPillow products. The digests from KTSM and Political Wire both noted Lindell’s refusal to concede but did not mention his financial situation or the retailers.
Right
12 rated outlets
- All eight right-rated digests reported that Mike Lindell lost the Minnesota Republican gubernatorial primary to Lisa Demuth and refused to concede. They agreed on the vote shares: Demuth at 43.4% and Lindell at 32.5%. Seven of the eight noted Lindell’s allegation of voting irregularities or anomalies.
- Five digests mentioned Lindell’s endorsement by Donald Trump. Four included his claim that 277,000 votes remained uncounted when he trailed by 20,000. None of the digests quoted Lindell directly on the nature of the alleged anomalies or provided evidence for them.
- Three digests identified Demuth as the speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives. None of the digests included a response from Demuth or Minnesota election officials to Lindell’s refusal to concede or his allegations.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Mike Lindell loses Minnesota primary, refuses to concede and alleges…?
- Of the 43 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 49% are rated left, 23% are rated centre, 28% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 44. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Mike Lindell loses Minnesota primary, refuses to concede and alleges… left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 43 rated outlets on this story, 49% are rated left, 23% are rated centre, 28% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Mike Lindell loses Minnesota primary, refuses to concede and alleges… biased?
- Mike Lindell loses Minnesota primary, refuses to concede and alleges anomalies is one event reported by 44 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Mike Lindell loses Minnesota primary, refuses to concede and alleges…?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Mike Lindell loses Minnesota primary, refuses to concede and alleges…?
- 44 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- How much did Mike Lindell lose the Minnesota primary by?
- Mike Lindell lost the Minnesota Republican gubernatorial primary to Lisa Demuth by 10 points, according to the Hindustan Times. The margin was reported as a clear defeat for the Trump-backed candidate.
- Why is Mike Lindell refusing to concede the primary?
- Lindell is refusing to concede, alleging voting anomalies in the primary results. He has not provided evidence for these claims, as noted by the Independent and KSTP’s Kirsten Swanson.
- What is Mike Lindell’s net worth now?
- Celebrity Net Worth estimates Mike Lindell’s net worth at $0, down from a prior estimate of $100-300 million. The decline is attributed to legal costs and lost retail partnerships, the Hindustan Times reported.
- Which retailers stopped carrying MyPillow products?
- Major retailers including Walmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Kohl’s stopped carrying MyPillow products after Lindell promoted claims about the 2020 election, according to the Hindustan Times.
Read it at the source
44 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
21- Is a Trump Endorsement Becoming a Liability? (opens The Nation in a new tab)
The Nation — is The Nation biased? Our profile of this outlet
- MyPillow Guy Mike Lindell Dragged After Refusing To Concede Defeat In GOP Primary For Minnesota Governor For Peak MAGA Reason (opens Comic Sands in a new tab)
Comic Sands — is Comic Sands biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Donald Trump: US President Embarrasses After Election Bankruptcy - He Couldn't Prevent It (opens News.de in a new tab)
News.de — is News.de biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Trump’s endorsement of the MyPillow founder falls flat in Minnesota (opens The Seattle Times in a new tab)
The Seattle Times — is The Seattle Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mike Lindell's tantrum torn apart: Next he'll blame Bigfoot (opens Alternet in a new tab)
Alternet — is Alternet biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Mike Lindell refuses to concede after crushing Minnesota primary loss, claims ‘voting irregularities’ (opens The Daily Boulder in a new tab)
The Daily Boulder — is The Daily Boulder biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mike Lindell Revives Election Fraud Rhetoric After Losing MN Gubernatorial GOP Primary (opens Truthout in a new tab)
- Mike Lindell raises specter of fraud after losing GOP governor primary to Lisa Demuth (opens Star Tribune in a new tab)
Star Tribune — is Star Tribune biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 13 more
- ‘Morning Joe’ Hosts Erupt Into Laughter At Jokes About MyPillow CEO's Election Loss: 'Joe, Stop!' (opens HuffPost in a new tab)
- Mike Lindell Refuses to Concede After Claiming Election Irregularities (opens NOTUS in a new tab)
- Trump-backed Mike Lindell refuses to concede Minnesota election loss (opens Detroit Free Press in a new tab)
Detroit Free Press — is Detroit Free Press biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump-backed Mike Lindell refuses to concede Minnesota election loss (opens USA Today in a new tab)
- Trump-Endorsed MyPillow Founder Mike Lindell Refuses to Concede After Losing Big in GOP Primary (opens Common Dreams in a new tab)
Common Dreams — is Common Dreams biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Following His Primary Loss, Lindell Has Questions About the Numbers (opens Talking Points Memo in a new tab)
Talking Points Memo — is Talking Points Memo biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mike Lindell blames voting ‘anomalies’ on primary loss despite losing by 10 points (opens The Independent in a new tab)
The Independent — is The Independent biased? Our profile of this outlet
- MN Pillow Guy Goes Down in Flames, Despite Trump Endorsement and Favorable Polling — Refuses to Concede of Course (opens Daily Kos in a new tab)
Daily Kos — is Daily Kos biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Mika Brzezinski Begs Joe Scarborough to ‘Stop’ as He Mocks Mike Lindell With Incendiary Combo of Pillow Puns and Toilet Humor (opens Mediaite in a new tab)
- Mike Lindell Loses Big, Vows to Investigate Voting ‘Anomalies’ (opens peoplefor.org in a new tab)
peoplefor.org — is peoplefor.org biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 'Huge embarrassment' for Trump as 'raving' MAGA candidate refuses to concede: reports (opens Raw Story in a new tab)
- Lindell Won't Concede After Getting Crushed In MN Primary (opens Crooks and Liars in a new tab)
Crooks and Liars — is Crooks and Liars biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Lindell says he needs to investigate votes that led to Demuth's win (opens MPR News in a new tab)
Centre
10- Mike Lindell refuses to concede GOP governor primary to Lisa Demuth (opens St. Cloud Times in a new tab)
St. Cloud Times — is St. Cloud Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- After years of denying other elections, MyPillow founder won’t accept his own defeat (opens Straight Arrow News in a new tab)
Straight Arrow News — is Straight Arrow News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump-backed Mike Lindell refuses to concede Minnesota election loss (opens Wonderwall.com in a new tab)
Wonderwall.com — is Wonderwall.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- MyPillow founder Mike Lindell refuses to concede loss in Minnesota Republican primary (opens UPI in a new tab)
- Lindell refuses to concede, alleges voting irregularities (opens MYSTATELINE in a new tab)
MYSTATELINE — is MYSTATELINE biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Lindell refuses to concede, alleges voting irregularities (opens KTSM in a new tab)
- MyPillow Founder Mike Lindell Won’t Concede Losing Minnesota Republican Gubernatorial Primary (opens Forbes in a new tab)
- Lindell alleges voting irregularities, refuses to concede (opens The Hill in a new tab)
Show 2 more
- Mike Lindell family, net worth: All on Trump backed-candidate ‘refusing’ to concede after losing Minnesota GOP primary (opens Hindustan Times in a new tab)
Hindustan Times — is Hindustan Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mike Lindell Refuses to Concede (opens Political Wire in a new tab)
Political Wire — is Political Wire biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
12- After Amnesty Plan Backlash, Mike Lindell Loses Minnesota GOP Primary (opens wbap.com in a new tab)
- After Amnesty Plan Backlash, Mike Lindell Loses Minnesota GOP Primary (opens The Dallas Express News in a new tab)
The Dallas Express News — is The Dallas Express News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Lindell Alleges Voting Anomalies After Losing Minnesota GOP Governor Primary, Won’t Concede (opens Tennessee Star in a new tab)
Tennessee Star — is Tennessee Star biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 4 highlights from Tuesday's primaries: Mike Lindell loses; Lindsey Graham's sister advances (opens The Christian Post in a new tab)
The Christian Post — is The Christian Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- MN Primaries: Good for Left, Tough for My Pillow Guy (opens Real Clear Politics in a new tab)
Real Clear Politics — is Real Clear Politics biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Mike Lindell Refuses To Concede Defeat In Competitive Minnesota Gubernatorial Primary – 100PercentFedUp.com – by Danielle (opens 100% FED UP! in a new tab)
100% FED UP! — is 100% FED UP! biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mike Lindell Refuses to Concede 'Until the Votes Are Counted' (opens Breitbart in a new tab)
- ‘I’m down by 20,000 votes with 277,000 left to count,’ Mike Lindell says, refusing to Concede Governor primary (opens ussanews.com in a new tab)
ussanews.com — is ussanews.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 4 more
- MyPillow founder Mike Lindell refuses to concede in Minnesota’s GOP gubernatorial primary (opens Washington Times in a new tab)
Washington Times — is Washington Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mike Lindell Refuses To Concede Defeat In Competitive Minnesota Gubernatorial Primary (opens WLTReport in a new tab)
- In Your Dreams, Mike Lindell (opens National Review in a new tab)
National Review — is National Review biased? Our profile of this outletOpinion
- Mike Lindell Won’t Concede Minnesota’s GOP Gubernatorial Race (opens Independent Journal Review in a new tab)
Independent Journal Review — is Independent Journal Review biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
1How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.


