Following his second-place finish in the Minnesota Republican gubernatorial primary, businessman Mike Lindell has formally requested a recount and audit of all paper ballots cast in the election. Lindell, the founder of MyPillow, stated on Wednesday that he intends to personally cover the costs associated with this process.

Lindell’s challenge targets the victory of Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth. While standard election procedures typically require a specific margin of defeat to trigger an automatic recount, Lindell argues that Minnesota state law provides candidates the legal standing to request a full hand count of ballots regardless of the vote gap.

This move marks a significant escalation in Lindell’s efforts to contest the primary results. Lindell has been a vocal proponent of claims regarding election integrity, a stance that has defined much of his recent public activity. As of now, election officials have not provided a formal response regarding the feasibility or legal standing of his specific request for a hand-counted audit outside of the standard statutory requirements. The situation remains developing as the campaign and state authorities navigate the specific provisions of Minnesota election code.