Pete Stauber

U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN) and challenger Trina Swanson (DFL) are squaring off in the 2026 election for the District 8 seat in Congress.

Each candidate was provided with a set of the same questions.

I grew up in Hermantown, Minnesota, where both of my parents were union members: my mother worked as a nurse and my father built things with his hands, first in construction, then at the paper mill. They instilled in me the Minnesota values of hard work and caring for your community. Those lessons drove me to a career in federal service, spending 25 years as a public servant in the federal government. I was proud to represent the United States across the globe, leading international affairs and rising the ranks to the Director of International Operations for USCIS, serving proudly under several administrations.

From playing professional hockey to serving 23 years in law enforcement, I am a problem solver. As a police officer, I was proud to patrol the streets in St. Louis County and keep communities safe. As a professional hockey player, it’s in my DNA to fight and never give up. And as a husband and father of six children, I will do all I can to ensure we leave this country better off for the next generation.

Why are you running for this office/seat?

Minnesotans need a voice in Washington who will champion causes built on our values and beliefs. I am passionate about fighting for our way of life, putting America first, and doing all I can to lower our cost of living and throw the fraudsters in jail.

When Trump came into office and his administration asked me to carry out directives I believed were unethical, I walked away from my career as a public servant. I decided to continue serving our country and fight for my fellow Minnesotans. I have seen firsthand what it takes to make meaningful change in government, and I decided to run for Congress to bring opportunity back home, because MN-8 deserves real representation.

It is clear that the people across my district are looking for real leadership on affordability, healthcare access, and economic opportunity. Being effective in Congress requires representatives with the skills to work across the aisle, identify solutions, build coalitions, and get laws passed. It requires an understanding of the issues at hand including foreign policy, national security, and immigration to deliver results for our community.

What do you see as the 3 major issues in your city/county/district and if elected how do you plan to address them?

Minnesota voters are demanding solutions to the challenges in their day-to-day lives: affordability, healthcare access, and economic opportunity. Families want to afford where they live, get healthcare they need, find childcare that is available and accessible, have industries that keep communities strong, and protect our outdoor resources.

To ensure economic vitality for Minnesota families, we must push forward universal healthcare, proper funding for childcare, schools, hospitals, and programs the working class relies upon, and attract new industries with good jobs.

I have traveled to every corner of the district, and people want to address the issues that shape their daily lives. Instead, our current representative caters to the Trump administration and supports cuts to programs that the middle class relies upon so the 1% can receive greater tax breaks.

- Affordability: We need to unleash the economic engines that will create opportunities for working families and lower the cost of living for everyone. On the Range, that means making America a critical mineral powerhouse. I was proud to champion legislation – now law – that ENDED Joe Biden’s ban on mining in northern Minnesota. By putting America first – by putting Minnesota mining first – we will restore the heartbeat of our economic future where American workers and industries again take the lead on the global stage.

- Stop the fraud:When state leaders like Tim Walz and Keith Ellison won’t do their jobs to stop fraud, the federal government must step in to protect our programs and hold violators accountable. I introduced the “Stop Fraud by SOMALIA Act,” that would strengthen penalties for childcare providers who defraud the childcare block grant program. No one, certainly not the state government, should turn a blind eye to fraud. Fraudsters were allowed to steal billions from Minnesota taxpayers because Tim Walz and his agencies threatened to retaliate against whistleblowers who tried to sound the alarm. I introduced the FRAUD Act that would ensure state leaders who knowingly fail to report fraud face criminal penalties. Minnesota taxpayers deserve to know their hard-earned dollars are supporting legitimate services for those who need it most and not lining the pockets of Somali fraudsters.

- Border security: In less than two years, we put an end to Joe Biden’s open-border society. By supporting our Border Patrol agents, strengthening our law enforcement, and increasing construction and security measures along the southern border, our southern border is secure.

Closing statement (anything you want to add)?

After four disastrous years of Joe Biden’s skyrocketing inflation, high unemployment, and an open border policy that allowed tens of millions of illegal immigrants – many of them dangerous criminals – to walk right into our country, America is rebounding and rebuilding. But we have a long way to go. While inflation is down to just one-third of what it was under Biden, gas prices are still too high, and a bag of groceries shouldn’t cost 100 bucks. I will continue to work relentlessly to unleash the mining industry, providing a long-term economic boost to this region of Minnesota and giving working families the hope and prosperity they deserve.

Our district has seen the outcome of relying on the same representation for years: a focus on identity politics rather than day-to-day issues, and catering to the Trump administration rather than Minnesota families. Across this district, voters keep asking the same question: who has the experience and dedication to make life more affordable and strengthen our communities? Pete Stauber remains unable to articulate his plans for concrete change, supports a war that is putting our troops in harm's way and causing skyrocketing gas prices, applauds the tariffs harming our farmers and small business owners, and fails to show up in our communities. I show up and will fight for our communities.

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