# Kendall Qualls **Kendall Qualls** is a Minnesota businessman who won the **Republican Party of Minnesota's 2026 convention endorsement for governor** after 10 rounds of voting. He then finished third in the August 11 primary with 21.4%, behind [[Lisa Demuth]] (43.4%) and [[Mike Lindell]] (32.5%), and conceded to Demuth, saying she had earned "the support of the Republican primary voters." He had also won the state party's straw poll in December 2025. His loss is half of the state GOP convention's 0-for-2 statewide record on August 11. Adam Schwarze, the convention's Senate pick, also lost ([[MN-Sen-2026]]). ## Related - [[MN-Gov-2026]] · [[2026 Governor Races Hub]]