MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has announced Phillip Parish, a former U.S. Navy intelligence officer, as his running mate for Minnesota’s gubernatorial race.
Lindell, who has been engaged in legal disputes with voting machine manufacturers over claims that the 2020 presidential election was compromised, launched his campaign for governor in December 2023.
During an announcement on Steve Bannon’s War Room, Lindell pledged to “stand for you against the rampant fraud under Governor Tim Walz” and “stand for you against unnecessary regulation that strangle the entrepreneurial spirit,” emphasizing support for individuals “struggling with addiction.”
Parish, who had previously considered a run for governor himself, withdrew from the race to join Lindell. Lindell shared his announcement via tweet: “Just Officially Filed! The two best gubernatorial candidates are joining forces! I’m honored to officially announce Phillip Parish as my Lieutenant Governor in my campaign for Governor of Minnesota.”
Independent polling data remains limited. A May survey conducted by Big Data Poll found Lindell leading the Republican primary with 21.3 percent support compared to 19.4 percent for Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, though the margin of error was plus or minus 2.8 percentage points. In a hypothetical scenario involving Donald Trump’s endorsement, the survey indicated Lindell’s support would rise to 35.9 percent against Demuth’s 13.9 percent—a scenario in which Trump has not formally endorsed Lindell.
The most recent independent polling by Peak Insights, conducted between January 31 and February 1, showed Lindell at 18 percent and Demuth at 17 percent, with other candidates trailing in single digits. Prediction markets indicate Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth is favored to win the Republican primary with approximately 64 percent odds, compared to Lindell’s 22 percent.