Mike Lindell Wins Hibbing GOP Caucus Straw Poll With 18 Votes

Mike Lindell captured a plurality in the Hibbing Republican caucus straw poll, taking 18 of 31 ballots at the Hibbing National Guard Armory on Tuesday evening. About 40 people attended the caucus, ballots were distributed to those present, and residents from multiple city precincts gathered to discuss next steps in the party nomination process.

The local straw poll was non-binding. Local tallies showed Lindell 18, Kendall Quall 8, Lisa Demuth 4 and one attendee marked undecided. The candidate name was recorded locally as Kendall Quall; aggregated statewide returns used the spelling Kendall Qualls. The Hibbing vote represents a single precinct-level data point in a night of large turnout and shifting statewide returns.

State GOP reporting in the hours after precinct caucuses showed House Speaker Lisa Demuth leading early statewide returns, with Kendall Qualls and Mike Lindell among the top contenders. One statewide snapshot put Demuth at 32 percent, Qualls at 25 percent and Lindell at 17 percent, with former state senator Scott Jensen at 8 percent. At one stage roughly 14,000 straw-poll votes had been reported statewide, with 854 voters listing themselves as undecided. State party summaries later indicated roughly 96 percent of precincts had reported by midafternoon Wednesday, though different outlets were working from results updated at different times.

State Sen. Rob Farnsworth, R-Hibbing, addressed caucus-goers and framed the evening as evidence of grassroots interest. “I’m excited about how many people came. It just shows how important this election is,” Farnsworth said. He added a partisan warning about control of state government: “We absolutely can’t have another DFL trifecta, and I’m glad to see so many Republicans getting involved and getting together to retake Minnesota.”

The Hibbing straw poll is part of precinct-level work that elects delegates and produces non-binding preference ballots. Delegates chosen at precinct caucuses move on to two smaller conventions before party state conventions at the end of May, where endorsements and platforms are finalized ahead of the August primary. High turnout across both parties was a defining feature of the night; party reporting indicated thousands of attendees statewide and energized grassroots activism.

Some voters pointed to name recognition as a factor in early choices. “I think he’s got name recognition,” Frank Drake said at a suburban precinct, reflecting reasons other caucus-goers cited for supporting Lindell. National political dynamics also play into the state race; President Donald Trump has endorsed Lindell, a Minnesota native and businessman best known as founder of MyPillow.

For Hibbing residents, the local straw poll is a reminder that precinct-level participation shapes delegate slates and local party organization. While Lindell’s 18 votes give him a clear local edge in Hibbing, statewide returns remain fluid. The next steps for voters are engagement with chosen delegates at upcoming conventions and watching how precinct preferences translate into formal endorsements and the August primary ballot.