--- title: "Mike Lindell loses Minnesota primary, refuses to concede and alleges anomalies" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/mike-lindell-loses-minnesota-primary-refuses-to-concede-and-alleges-anomalies" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/mike-lindell-loses-minnesota-primary-refuses-to-concede-and-alleges-anomalies" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/mike-lindell-loses-minnesota-primary-refuses-to-concede-and-alleges-anomalies.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/mike-lindell-loses-minnesota-primary-refuses-to-concede-and-alleges-anomalies" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-12T15:25:27.091Z" source_reported: "2026-08-12T14:33:33.000Z" updated: "2026-08-12T16:30:49.937Z" trust_score: 70 critic_score: 87 hype_score: 18 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-12T16:30:45.074955+00:00" --- # 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* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 70 of 100, higher is better. Named sources and net‑worth figure cited, plus coverage by six distinct outlets, raise trust to 70. - Craft 87 of 100, higher is better. Provides context, quotes Lindell and CBS, separates facts, includes specific names and figures, yielding a clear 87‑point score. - Hype 18 of 100, lower is better. Language is factual with minimal sensational adjectives, keeping hype low at 18. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - 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. 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. ## Who covered it Shares of the 13 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 62% (8) - Centre: 23% (3) - Right: 15% (2) 1 of 14 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-12T16:30:45.074955+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 1 check found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-12T17:30:28.543Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Left-rated outlets agreed Mike Lindell lost the Minnesota Republican gubernatorial primary to Lisa Demuth by 10 points and refused to concede. All seven reports noted he alleged voting anomalies without providing evidence. Six digests stated the votes were fully counted before Lindell made his claims. - The Independent and MPR News led on Lindell’s refusal to concede and his allegations of anomalies. USA Today and Common Dreams emphasised his loss margin and the completion of vote counting. Talking Points Memo and Mediaite focused on his history of election denialism. Crooks and Liars did not publish its own report on the primary result. - The Independent’s digest noted Lindell did not explain the anomalies his team claimed to have found. MPR News quoted Lindell saying his team needed to "reconcile these numbers" before conceding. No other left-rated digest or report included his exact phrasing or detailed his team’s process. ### Centre - 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 No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 1 - mixed: 4 - high: 8 - unknown: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [ussanews.com](https://ussanews.com/2026/08/12/im-down-by-20000-votes-with-277000-left-to-count-mike-lindell-says-refusing-to-concede-governor-primary) — ‘I’m down by 20,000 votes with 277,000 left to count,’ Mike Lindell says, refusing to Concede Governor primary - [USA Today](https://usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/08/12/mike-lindell-pillow-guy-trump-minnesota-republican-primary/91270669007) — Trump-backed Mike Lindell refuses to concede Minnesota election loss - [Common Dreams](https://commondreams.org/news/mike-lindell-refuses-concede) — Trump-Endorsed MyPillow Founder Mike Lindell Refuses to Concede After Losing Big in GOP Primary - [Talking Points Memo](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/following-his-primary-loss-lindell-has-questions-about-the-numbers) — Following His Primary Loss, Lindell Has Questions About the Numbers - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/mike-lindell-minnesota-primary-loss-b3031865.html) — Mike Lindell blames voting ‘anomalies’ on primary loss despite losing by 10 points - [Washington Times](https://washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/12/mypillow-founder-mike-lindell-refuses-concede-minnesotas-gop) — MyPillow founder Mike Lindell refuses to concede in Minnesota’s GOP gubernatorial primary - [tonyortega.org](https://tonyortega.org/2026/08/12/pillow-guy-has-a-tough-day-at-the-polls-vows-to-investigate-fraud) — Pillow guy has a tough day at the polls, vows to investigate fraud - [Daily Kos](https://dailykos.com/stories/2026/8/12/800083249/community/pi) — MN Pillow Guy Goes Down in Flames, Despite Trump Endorsement and Favorable Polling — Refuses to Concede of Course - [Mediaite](https://mediaite.com/media/tv/mika-brzezinski-begs-joe-scarborough-to-stop-as-he-mocks-mike-lindell-with-incendiary-combo-of-pillow-puns-and-toilet-humor) — Mika Brzezinski Begs Joe Scarborough to ‘Stop’ as He Mocks Mike Lindell With Incendiary Combo of Pillow Puns and Toilet Humor - [KTSM](https://ktsm.com/news/national-news/lindell-refuses-to-concede-alleges-voting-irregularities) — Lindell refuses to concede, alleges voting irregularities - [Hindustan Times](https://hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/mike-lindell-family-net-worth-all-on-trump-backed-candidate-refusing-to-concede-after-losing-minnesota-gop-primary-101786515436363.html) — Mike Lindell family, net worth: All on Trump backed-candidate ‘refusing’ to concede after losing Minnesota GOP primary - [Political Wire](https://politicalwire.com/2026/08/12/mike-lindell-refuses-to-concede) — Mike Lindell Refuses to Concede - [Crooks and Liars](https://crooksandliars.com/cltv/2026/08/lindell-wont-concede-after-getting) — Lindell Won't Concede After Getting Crushed In MN Primary - [MPR News](https://mprnews.org/story/2026/08/11/lindell-says-he-needs-to-investigate-votes-that-led-to-demuths-win) — Lindell says he needs to investigate votes that led to Demuth's win ## Questions **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. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/mike-lindell-loses-minnesota-primary-refuses-to-concede-and-alleges-anomalies. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Mike Lindell loses Minnesota primary, refuses to concede and alleges anomalies", https://mediabias.news/politics/mike-lindell-loses-minnesota-primary-refuses-to-concede-and-alleges-anomalies