--- title: "Mike Lindell to fund Minnesota recount after 11-point primary loss" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/mike-lindell-to-fund-minnesota-recount-after-11-point-primary-loss" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/mike-lindell-to-fund-minnesota-recount-after-11-point-primary-loss" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/mike-lindell-to-fund-minnesota-recount-after-11-point-primary-loss.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/mike-lindell-to-fund-minnesota-recount-after-11-point-primary-loss" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-19T20:25:27.975Z" source_reported: "2026-08-19T20:02:28.036Z" updated: "2026-08-19T20:25:27.975Z" trust_score: 78 critic_score: 85 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-19T20:15:32.772285+00:00" --- # Mike Lindell to fund Minnesota recount after 11-point primary loss *The MyPillow founder must submit an $825,000 payment by 24 August to trigger a statewide hand count* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 78 of 100, higher is better. CBS report includes named sources and documents; others corroborate. - Craft 85 of 100, higher is better. Multiple outlets quote affected parties and state next steps. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Headlines are factual and proportionate to the body. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Mike Lindell lost the Minnesota Republican primary for governor to Lisa Demuth by roughly 11 percentage points. - Lindell announced he will fund a statewide hand recount of all paper ballots, estimated to cost $825,000. - The recount request and payment must be submitted by 24 August to proceed under Minnesota law. - No official findings of fraud or irregularity have been reported in the primary results. Mike Lindell, the MyPillow founder, announced on 18 August 2026 that he will personally fund a hand recount of every paper ballot cast in Minnesota’s Republican primary for governor. Lindell finished second to Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who won with 43% of the vote, while Lindell secured 32%. The margin of roughly 11 percentage points is far outside the 0.25% threshold that triggers an automatic, state-funded recount in Minnesota. Under Minnesota law, an apparent losing candidate may request a discretionary recount at their own expense. The Secretary of State’s office estimated the cost of a full recount for the governor and lieutenant governor races at approximately $825,000. Lindell must submit an official request and payment by 24 August to proceed. The office has released a contingency plan detailing how the recount would be conducted, including public and media access to the process. Lindell cited a Minnesota law that allows candidates to request a full hand count of ballots, regardless of the margin. In a statement, he said he intends to use this right "to the full extent of the law." On primary night, Lindell refused to concede, claiming his team had identified "anomalies" in the results, though he provided no evidence at the time. No official findings of fraud or irregularity have been reported in the primary results. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mentioned the estimated $825,000 cost of the recount or the 24 August deadline for payment. The left-rated digests did not include the exact vote totals or percentages from the primary results. The centre-rated digests did not report on Lindell’s past legal settlements with voting-technology companies Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic. ## Who covered it Shares of the 11 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 18% (2) - Centre: 46% (5) - Right: 36% (4) 0 of 11 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-19T20:15:32.772285+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-19T20:30:25.798Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The two left-rated digests led on Lindell’s history of promoting election conspiracy theories. The Star Tribune’s digest noted that the recount is "Lindell’s latest effort to cast doubt on the security of elections," linking it to his role in Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. MPR News’s digest focused on Lindell’s legal challenges, reporting that his running mate is pushing for a Minnesota Supreme Court review of the primary results. ### Centre - The five centre-rated digests and the full report from CBS News led on the procedural and financial aspects of the recount. CBS News detailed the estimated cost of $825,000, the 24 August deadline, and the Secretary of State’s contingency plan for conducting the recount. The digests from KSTP News, Fox 9, and Political Wire also highlighted the margin of Lindell’s loss, with KSTP noting he lost by 45,000 votes. None of the centre-rated digests mentioned Lindell’s past election conspiracy theories. ### Right - The four right-rated digests led on Lindell’s refusal to concede and his claims of irregularities. The Grand Forks Herald, The Globe, Detroit Lakes Online, and Echo Press all reported that Lindell cited "irregularities in the results" on primary night and refused to concede. The Echo Press’s digest included the exact vote totals and percentages for each candidate but did not mention the estimated cost of the recount or the deadline for payment. ## 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. - high: 6 - veryHigh: 5 ## 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 - [Grand Forks Herald](https://grandforksherald.com/news/minnesota/mike-lindell-says-he-will-fund-a-recount-of-his-primary-results) — Mike Lindell says he will fund a recount of his primary results - [The Globe](https://dglobe.com/news/minnesota/mike-lindell-says-he-will-fund-a-recount-of-his-primary-results) — Mike Lindell says he will fund a recount of his primary results - [Bemidji Pioneer](https://bemidjipioneer.com/news/minnesota/mike-lindell-says-he-will-fund-a-recount-of-his-primary-results) — Mike Lindell says he will fund a recount of his primary results - [Detroit Lakes Online](https://dl-online.com/news/minnesota/mike-lindell-says-he-will-fund-a-recount-of-his-primary-results) — Mike Lindell says he will fund a recount of his primary results - [Echo Press](https://echopress.com/news/minnesota/mike-lindell-says-he-will-fund-a-recount-of-his-primary-results) — Mike Lindell says he will fund a recount of his primary results - [CBS News](https://cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/mike-lindell-minnesota-governor-primary-recount) — Mike Lindell says he will fund statewide hand recount after losing Minnesota GOP primary by double digits - [Star Tribune](https://startribune.com/mike-lindell-says-hell-pay-for-recount-in-45000-vote-loss-in-minnesota-governor-primary/601880351) — Mike Lindell says he’ll pay for recount in 45,000-vote loss in Minnesota governor primary - [KSTP News](https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/mike-lindell-funds-minnesota-gop-primary-recount-after-loss) — Mike Lindell funds Minnesota GOP primary recount after loss - [Political Wire](https://politicalwire.com/2026/08/19/mike-lindell-will-fund-statewide-hand-recount-after-loss) — Mike Lindell Will Fund Statewide Hand Recount After Loss - [Fox 9](https://fox9.com/news/mike-lindell-says-hell-privately-fund-statewide-hand-recount-gop-primary) — Mike Lindell says he'll privately fund statewide hand recount of GOP primary - [MPR News](https://mprnews.org/story/2026/08/19/mike-lindell-ticket-goes-to-mn-supreme-court-for-review-of-gop-primary-loss) — Lindell’s governor ticket challenges now-certified GOP primary defeat ## Questions **How much will the recount cost?** The Minnesota Secretary of State’s office estimated the cost of a full hand recount of the governor and lieutenant governor races at roughly $825,000. Lindell must submit payment by 24 August 2026 to proceed with the recount. **What happens if Lindell misses the deadline?** If Lindell does not submit the official recount request and payment by 24 August, the recount will not proceed. Minnesota law requires the request and funds to be submitted within five days of the canvass of the primary election. **Has any fraud been found in the primary results?** No official findings of fraud or irregularity have been reported in the Minnesota Republican primary results. Lindell claimed his team identified "anomalies" but provided no evidence at the time. **Which outlets reported on Lindell’s past election claims?** The left-rated digests from the Star Tribune and MPR News linked the recount to Lindell’s history of promoting election conspiracy theories, including his role in Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/mike-lindell-to-fund-minnesota-recount-after-11-point-primary-loss. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Mike Lindell to fund Minnesota recount after 11-point primary loss", https://mediabias.news/politics/mike-lindell-to-fund-minnesota-recount-after-11-point-primary-loss