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Mike Lindell refused to wire the $825,000 needed for a state-run hand recount of the Minnesota Republican gubernatorial primary and promptly sued, calling the Secretary of State’s last-minute recount plan a “bait-and-switch.” The MyPillow CEO says election officials narrowed the recount to only the top two candidates, which he argues breaks state law and defeats the point of a true recount. That’s the fight now heading into court — not another social-media shouting match, but a legal question about what a recount must cover.
What happened: Lindell halts payment, files suit over recount scope
Lindell’s campaign says the wire transfer was “primed and ready,” but they held back payment when they were told the State Canvassing Board would only count votes for the top two candidates, putting all other governor votes into an “OTHER” bucket. The campaign calls that an unlawful narrowing of the process and has asked the Minnesota Supreme Court to force a full recount of “all ballots cast for the office of Governor.”
Legal argument: bait-and-switch vs. state rules
The heart of the case is simple: does Minnesota law require a recount to count every valid vote for an office, or can officials lawfully limit a hand tally to only named candidates? Lindell’s lawyers cite the statutes saying a recount must cover “the number of votes validly cast for the office.” The state says its contingency plan “follows state law and administrative rules” and matches prior procedures. So the court must decide whether this is a procedural shortcut or a real change that undermines a candidate’s right to a full recount.
State response and the court path
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon and the State Canvassing Board say the contingent plan was approved and provided to Lindell’s team. Lindell’s campaign has filed emergency petitions and contest notices asking judges to preserve ballots, halt enforcement of the narrowed plan, and require a full recount or inspection. Courts could deny relief, preserve materials while litigation continues, or order a broader procedure — and Lindell’s choice to withhold payment raises a practical problem: without that cash, state officials say there is no triggered hand recount under their plan.
Why this matters: more than a legal quibble
This is about the integrity and transparency of the recount process. For voters who want confidence in election outcomes, the difference between counting every vote and lumping many ballots as “OTHER” matters. For Republicans in Minnesota, the fight will also be a political flashpoint: Lindell ran a high-profile, well-funded campaign backed publicly by President Donald Trump, and his claims will draw attention even if the margin he lost by was large. The courts will now have to sort out whether the state’s recount procedure is lawful or whether the campaign’s “bait-and-switch” charge has merit — and either outcome will shape how recounts work hereafter.
