MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has selected retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. Phillip Parrish as his running mate in the Minnesota governor's race, announcing the pick during a Monday appearance on Steve Bannon's War Room show.
Lindell, who launched his campaign in December, announced Parrish alongside a social media post reading: "The two best gubernatorial candidates are joining forces!"
Parrish previously ran for Minnesota governor as a Republican candidate but suspended his own campaign to join Lindell's ticket. He had also sought the governorship in 2018.
Before entering politics, Parrish worked in education and served in the Navy Reserve. According to NewsNation, he spent 11 years overseas on active duty working as a counterterrorism and foreign policy specialist, specifically tracking terrorist financing networks.
Parrish was one of the original whistleblowers in the Minnesota childcare system fraud case in 2017. He told NewsNation that he documented hundreds of millions of dollars allegedly moving from the state's childcare system to al-Shabab terror networks in Somalia as early as 2016.
A former member of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Parrish said he tracked money couriers from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport through the Netherlands and Kenya before reaching Mogadishu. The Treasury Department designated hawala exchanges linked to al-Shabab as fronts for the al-Qaida-linked group in 2012.
Lindell is an ardent supporter of President Trump and has promoted unproven claims about the 2020 election being stolen.
What the Left Is Saying
Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party leaders have dismissed Lindell's candidacy as a long-shot effort that will struggle to gain traction with mainstream voters.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who announced her gubernatorial bid in January and secured the DFL endorsement, represents the party's standard-bearer in the race. The Cook Political Report shifted the race from "Lean Democrat" to "Solid Democrat" after she entered.
Democrats have pointed to Lindell's lack of political experience beyond his business career and his focus on election fraud claims as factors that may limit his appeal beyond Trump-aligned Republicans.
The party has emphasized Minnesota's economic record under Walz and plans to contrast their vision with what they characterize as fringe candidates lacking substantive policy platforms.
What the Right Is Saying
Lindell's campaign has framed the selection of Parrish as bringing national security expertise to state government. Supporters say his counterterrorism background offers a unique perspective on both public safety and fiscal accountability.
Conservative commentators have noted that Lindell, despite being a political newcomer, commands significant name recognition from his MyPillow business and his high-profile role in conservative circles since 2020.
Some Republican strategists acknowledge the ticket faces steep odds against Klobuchar's well-funded campaign but argue it could siphon votes from Democratic candidates if Lindell generates sufficient media attention.
The party remains divided on whether to formally support Lindell, with some Republicans backing Klobuchar over concerns about the viability of third-party or unconventional candidacies.
What the Numbers Show
Lindell's candidacy enters a race where polling data shows significant challenges for non-mainstream candidates in Minnesota's political landscape.
Cook Political Report rates the gubernatorial race as "Solid Democrat" following Klobuchar's entry, suggesting limited competitive threat to Walz from outside the Democratic ticket.
Parrish received less than 3% support when he ran for governor in the 2018 Republican primary, which featured multiple candidates.
Minnesota has not elected a Republican governor since Tim Pawlenty left office in 2011. The state's electoral trends have favored Democrats in recent cycles.
The Bottom Line
Lindell's selection of Parrish adds national security credentials to what has been an unconventional campaign centered largely on election integrity claims.
The ticket will need to clear Minnesota's filing requirements and qualify for the general election ballot. Whether it can attract sufficient donor support and voter attention beyond base Republican voters remains uncertain.
For Democrats, the race represents a test of whether Klobuchar's entry consolidates progressive support or creates opening for other candidates to emerge. Republicans face questions about whether to coalesce behind her or risk vote splitting that benefits Walz.
What happens next: Voters should watch for polling data as both major party candidates and any third-party or independent filings take shape ahead of Minnesota's election calendar.