Republican Mike Lindell can't move ahead with a recount of his loss in the governor's race primary after Minnesota's highest court turned back his lawsuit Saturday.
In a six-page ruling signed by Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, the Supreme Court denied Lindell's attempt to broaden the scope of a recount beyond what the secretary of state’s office laid out. Lindell missed a Monday deadline to formally request and pay for a recount of the Aug. 11 primary as he challenged the structure of the ballot review in court.
Justices found that his legal claims to seek an expansive recount were without merit. Lindell wanted all 1.1 million ballots examined by hand and tallies for all candidates to be redone instead of just the ballots for him and GOP winner Lisa Demuth.
Justices said the state-approved recount plan was within the law.
“In other words, after all votes are sorted and counted, Lindell would know whether he is the winner over Demuth,” the justices said in their ruling. “And all ballots, in all piles, would be counted and subject to challenge.”
The ruling effectively affirms Lindell's 45,000-vote loss to Demuth, who will face DFL nominee Amy Klobuchar and the Green Party’s Steven Young in the November general election.
State election officials had argued in legal filings this week that beginning a recount this late could delay preparations of general election ballots. Early voting begins Sept. 18 and printing of ballots will start next week.
Lindell told MPR News he planned to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, though federal courts typically refrain from intervening in state-level election cases.
“We want a full recount of all 1.1 million ballots in the governor’s race,” Lindell said.
Lindell, the founder of MyPillow, is known for casting doubt on state and national election procedures and voting machines. His continued dispute of 2020 presidential results earned him the backing of President Donald Trump in the governor’s race.
Lindell had said a full audit of ballots would shine a light on problems while providing little documentation to support his claims.
Separately on Saturday, the high court also dismissed a legal challenge from Lindell’s running mate, Phillip Parrish, that claimed wrongful acts over election voting equipment he has long railed against. Justices said Parrish waited too long to bring his case, waiting until the eve of State Canvassing Board certification of the August primary results.
