Lindell has been leading in polls ahead of the Aug. 11 primary after he won President Donald Trump's endorsement in July. Lindell founded MyPillow in 2004, and it went on to become a direct-sales sensation due to the ubiquitous infomercials he starred in. Lindell told the Minnesota Star Tribune this week he had been planning for nearly a year to step away from the company during his campaign. Jim Furlong, who previously served as president of MyPillow from its founding until 2019, will take over as chief executive officer. Walker Orenstein of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed to this story.