MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has filed paperwork to run for Minnesota governor as a Republican in 2026.

The businessman and noted supporter of President Donald Trump filed candidate paperwork with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board on Wednesday.

He joins a crowded field of candidates seeking the GOP nomination to face Democratic-Farmer-Labor Gov. Tim Walz in next November’s election.

Lindell, 64, said he wasn’t certain he would run yet, but that it was highly likely.

“I’m 95, 98 percent there,” he said in a phone interview. “I will be making an announcement one way or another next Thursday.”

Campaign staff said they filed paperwork as a legal precaution and that they would close the committee if Lindell decided not to run.

First known for his pillow business, Lindell became one of Trump’s most visible supporters during the president’s first term in office.

In recent years, Lindell has faced legal troubles stemming from his business and claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

In September, a Minnesota federal judge ruled that Lindell had defamed election technology company Smartmatic by saying its voting machines helped rig the 2020 election, the Associated Press reported.

He also was found liable for defaming an executive of Dominion Voting Systems earlier this year.

Lindell said he would share more details about his priorities as a candidate at a news conference next week.

Other Republicans running for governor in 2026 include state House Speaker Lisa Demuth; 2022 gubernatorial candidate Scott Jensen, a doctor who rose to prominence for his criticism of state COVID policy; state Rep. Robbins; 2022 Republican endorsement contender Kendall Qualls, a former congressional candidate; and businessman Patrick Knight.

Asked if he had any concerns about the crowded primary field, Lindell said he had only heard of a few candidates.

“I don’t even know how crowded,” he said. “It doesn’t matter.”

Walz is seeking an unprecedented third consecutive four-year term as governor. So far, Walz is the only DFLer running for governor in 2026.

In a statement on Lindell’s potential candidacy, the Minnesota DFL called Lindell and Republicans “conspiratorial and extremist.

“He’s an out-of-touch salesman running to turn Minnesota into his next failed business,” Minnesota DFL Chair Richard Carlbom said in a statement.

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The city of Eagan officially has a new police chief and he hails from the St. Paul Police Department.

Salim Omari was sworn in as Eagan’s police chief on Dec. 2, 2025. Omari spent the bulk of his 21-year law enforcement career with the St. Paul Police Department. (Courtesy of the city of Eagan)

After a 21-year career in law enforcement ranging from investigations and training to SWAT commander, Salim Omari was sworn in as Eagan’s new chief of police Tuesday night.

“We’re excited to welcome Commander Omari to Eagan,” Mayor Mike Maguire said in a city news release. “He brings a strong record of leadership, experience in complex policing environments, and a commitment to building trust with the community.”

Omari, who began his career with the Bloomington Police Department in 2004, spent more than 18 years with the St. Paul Police Department where he held titles including district chief of St. Paul’s Eastern District and commander of the Major Crimes Division.

As a commander, Omari led the Internal Affairs Unit, Training Unit and Western District Patrol, per the release.

Omari was also appointed by both Gov. Mark Dayton and Gov. Tim Walz to the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission.

“I’m honored to be chosen to lead the highly respected Eagan Police Department,” Omari said in the release. “I believe in the power of collaboration and community engagement to keep our neighborhoods safe. Eagan is a thriving community, and I look forward to working alongside residents, city leaders, and officers to continue building trust and delivering excellent public safety.”

His departure from the St. Paul Police Department comes at a time when city leaders are raising concerns over the pay of St. Paul’s police chief and top staff.

St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry oversees 616 officers and has a salary of $207,688, compared to Minneapolis’ chief who oversees 621 officers and makes $312,703, the Pioneer Press recently reported.

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Omari, who has a degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in police leadership and administration, officially began his new role on Nov. 24, taking over for former police chief Roger New.

After 31 years with the Eagan police department and the last seven of those years as chief, New announced his retirement earlier this year, saying it was time to pass the mantle. At the time of his retirement, New’s salary was reported to be $215,093.

“Commander Omari has a proven track record of effective leadership, operational excellence, and a clear commitment to equity and community engagement,” said Eagan City Administrator Dianne Miller, in the release. “We’re confident he will continue Eagan’s strong tradition of public safety and help shape its next chapter.”

Meet the Chief

What: Open house with Chief Salim Omari

When: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 14

Where: Eagan City Hall, 3830 Pilot Knob Road

By SCOTT BAUER, Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to take a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of an immigrant rights group arguing that it is illegal for local jails to hold immigrant detainees at the request of federal authorities.

The Wisconsin lawsuit comes as federal agents have launched high-profile immigration crackdowns in cities including Chicago and Charlotte, North Carolina. Another operation is expected in the coming days in Minnesota, targeting Somali immigrants. The enforcement tactics have been met with protests and lawsuits.

A majority of justices on the Wisconsin Supreme Court voted to take the ACLU case directly as an original action, rather than have it first work its way through lower courts. The court is controlled 4-3 by liberal justices.

Four justices, who were not named, voted to accept the case, while conservative Justices Annette Ziegler and Rebecca Bradley dissented. Justice Brian Hagedorn, who most often sides with conservative justices, wrote separately to discuss the process, but he did not reveal how he voted.

None of the justices discussed the merits of the case in the order agreeing to take it.

The court’s decision means there could be a final ruling in the case by the middle of 2026, far faster than if it first had to wind its way through lower courts. All briefs in the case are due within two months, and the court will set a date for oral argument sometime after that early next year.

The ACLU brought the lawsuit against five county sheriffs in September on behalf of Voces de la Frontera, an immigrant rights group based in Milwaukee.

“This is a historic step toward ensuring that Wisconsin’s law protects all residents, not just those with power and privilege,” said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera. “Honoring ICE detainers has subjected hardworking immigrants to unlawful arrests for far too long.”

The lawsuit contends that it is illegal for local jails to hold immigrants on detainers sent by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to local sheriff’s offices. The lawsuit was filed against sheriffs in Walworth, Brown, Marathon, Kenosha and Sauk counties, all of which honor those requests.

Sam Hall, one of the attorneys for the sheriffs, said they were reviewing the court’s order and evaluating next steps.

“We are confident, however, that Wisconsin sheriffs who honor ICE detainers do so fully within the bounds of Wisconsin law and the federal legal framework governing immigration enforcement,” he said in an email.

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The sheriffs had argued that because the lawsuit involves a complicated area of the law — federal immigration law and the relationship between federal and state and local law enforcement — the case was best “resolved and refined” by first going through the lower courts, rather than skipping directly to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Honoring an ICE detainer means the sheriff agrees to hold the person for 48 hours after they otherwise should have been released under state law. The goal of detainers is to give ICE agents more time to pick someone up if they are suspected of being in the country illegally.

The ACLU wants the Wisconsin Supreme Court to prohibit sheriffs from holding people on ICE detainers, which are based on administrative warrants. Holding someone for extra time must be authorized by a judicial warrant, in which a court determines there is probable cause to keep them longer, the ACLU argues in the lawsuit.

The ACLU argues that keeping the person in custody for that extra time constitutes an illegal new arrest. It is illegal because Wisconsin law does not allow officers to make civil arrests except in certain circumstances, none of which apply to immigration enforcement, the lawsuit argues.

In the first seven months of this year, ICE sent more than 700 requests to local jails across Wisconsin, asking them to hold someone 48 hours beyond when they were set to be released, the lawsuit contends.

Republicans in the GOP-controlled Wisconsin Legislature support a bill that would withhold money from counties that don’t comply with ICE detainers. The measure passed the Assembly, and if the Senate approves the bill it would head to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who is likely to veto it.

Washington County officials will pay River Valley Christian Church $7.35 million to purchase its nearly 12-acre property in Lake Elmo and relocate the church.

The church property is needed to replace the last remaining stoplight on Minnesota 36 between Stillwater and Century Avenue with a $50 million grade-separated interchange with buttonhook-style ramps, county officials say.

Church officials signed the purchase agreement on Tuesday night; the county board is expected to approve it during its Dec. 16 meeting.

County and church officials have been negotiating for months over the purchase of the property at the southwest intersection of Minnesota 36 and Lake Elmo Avenue, an 11.88-acre parcel that is within the footprint of the new interchange.

The county’s initial offer of $2.3 million was rejected, but county officials were able to increase that number after considering a number of factors, including the value of the property, the expenses the church would incur to relocate, the public cost to redesign the interchange and the inflationary impact of the delay on project costs, said County Engineer Wayne Sandberg.

Redesigning the intersection around the church property, at 5900 Lake Elmo Ave. N., would have set the project back by at least two years, and alternative designs were estimated to increase the project costs as much as $5.2 million due to added right-of-way, engineering, inflation and new property impacts, Sandberg said.

“This agreement avoids millions of dollars in redesign and years of delay, and it’s very possible we would have had another tragic crash here,” Sandberg said. “This allows us to move forward.”

More than 200 crashes have occurred at the intersection of Minnesota 36 and Lake Elmo Avenue over the past 10 years, including three crashes – in 2018, 2024 and in May – that resulted in fatalities. An average of 57,000 vehicles pass through the intersection each day – 52,000 on Minnesota 36 and another 5,000 on Lake Elmo Avenue.

The new grade-separated interchange will improve safety, reduce congestion and improve bicycling and walkability in the area, Sandberg said.

Drivers no longer will be able to turn directly from one road to the other. Instead, the buttonhook-style ramps will provide access to Minnesota 36 through frontage roads and dedicated acceleration and deceleration lanes along the state highway, he said.

A rendering showing the design of a planned $40 million grade-separated interchange with buttonhook-style ramps that will be built at Minnesota Highway 36 and Lake Elmo Avenue. (Courtesy of Washington County)

“This is a positive outcome for everyone involved,” said County Commissioner Bethany Cox, who represents the area. “By working together, we’ve created a solution that allows our church partners to continue their mission in a new location while addressing a longstanding safety concern along Highway 36.”

Construction will start in the summer of 2026, and the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2027, Sandberg said.

Officials from River Valley, a nondenominational church, did not immediately respond to a query seeking comment.

Since its founding in 1995, River Valley has “grown into a thriving church with nearly 10,000 in attendance across 11 U.S. campuses and two international campuses with plans for further expansion in the future,” according to the church’s website.

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