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Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow and a vocal supporter of US President Donald Trump, has announced his candidacy for Minnesota governorship, media reports said on Friday.

Lindell, speaking from the MyPillow factory floor, declared: "I will stand for you as the next governor of the state of Minnesota," according to ABC News.

He pledged to confront "the rampant fraud under Governor Walz," as well as fight crime and what he called "unnecessary regulation that strangles the entrepreneurial spirit."

Lindell, known for promoting unproven allegations of voting machine fraud in the 2020 election, has officially registered a candidate campaign committee with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board, according to filings cited by ABC News.

Incumbent Democratic Governor Tim Walz, seeking a third term, faces criticism over alleged mismanagement of state funds.

At a press conference last week, Walz addressed allegations of fraud, saying investigations and audits are underway.

Democrats responded swiftly to Lindell’s announcement.

“This crowded race to the right is a nightmare scenario for Minnesota Republicans,” ABC quoted Democratic Governors Association spokesperson Izzi Levy as saying. “Whichever of these flawed candidates makes it through the primary will be hard-pressed to compare their radical agenda to Governor Walz’s record.”

The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party echoed the sentiment on social media, calling Lindell “conspiratorial, extremist, and weird.”

Lindell remains embroiled in a $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit filed in 2021 by voting machine company Dominion, now known as Liberty Vote.

The company alleges Lindell promoted false claims about election fraud. A recent status report confirmed discovery is complete and the case is ready to proceed to trial.