By Solange Reyner | Wednesday, December 24, 2025
Some Republican strategists have expressed concern that President Donald Trump’s involvement in the Minnesota gubernatorial race could damage the party’s prospects.
Trump recently voiced support for Minnesota GOP candidate Mike Lindell, founder and CEO of MyPillow, to unseat Democratic Governor Tim Walz in 2026. The president has frequently labeled Walz “grossly incompetent” in public statements, linking these accusations to issues including fraud investigations, immigration concerns, and political violence.
Trump also connected a fraud investigation within Minnesota’s social services program to Somali immigrants, making disparaging remarks about them by claiming they are “taking over” the state.
Michael Brodkorb, a former deputy chair of the Minnesota GOP who supported the Democratic ticket in 2024, told reporters that Trump’s rhetoric is detrimental to Republican candidates. “When the president comes in with a flamethrower and just throws that type of rhetoric, there’s no oxygen, and there’s no space for the Republican to offer suggestions and be thoughtful,” he said.
Dustin Grage, a Minnesota Republican strategist, warned that Republicans would face severe consequences if Lindell secured the nomination. “We’d be cooked” should Lindell get the nod, he added. “I’d be moving to Florida very shortly. We would lose pretty badly if Mike Lindell were to get the nomination.”
Minnesota was a Democratic stronghold in 2020 and has remained so in recent elections despite national shifts toward Republicans. Trump did not win the state in 2024, continuing Democrats’ long streak of victories there.
Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Chair Richard Carlbom stated that Walz “heads into reelection with a record focused squarely on working people and kitchen-table issues.”
“While the GOP clown-car primary remains consumed by infighting and loyalty tests for Donald Trump, Minnesota families are falling behind as Republicans unleash higher grocery prices, skyrocketing healthcare bills, and giant tax breaks for billionaires,” Carlbom said.
“Minnesotans see the difference — a governor delivering for working families, or Republicans delivering loyalty to Donald Trump and a Washington agenda that puts billionaires first.”
Approximately a dozen candidates are vying to replace Walz, including Speaker of the Minnesota House Lisa Demuth and businessman Kendall Qualls, an Army veteran who ran for governor in 2022.
