Stauber aiming to win unprecedented fourth term for GOP in 8th Congressional District
For all but two years from 1947 until 2019, Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District seat was held by Democrats. In 2024, Pete Stauber will try to win an unprecedented fourth term as a Republican after first being elected in 2018.
“Being in Congress is a privilege of a lifetime,” Stauber said in an interview recorded for “At Issue with Tom Hauser,” which will air Sunday morning at 10.
In one test of his re-election bid, Stauber was criticized by Democrats in January for taking credit for a billion dollars in funding for a new Blatnik Bridge between Duluth and Superior, WI, even though he voted against the infrastructure bill that provided the money.
Stauber says he voted against the overall bill because it was too expensive and included funding for projects he opposed. However, he says he was always an outspoken supporter of funding for the Blatnik Bridge.
“When it becomes law, I’m going to fight for every single dollar to be brought back to Minnesota’s 8th congressional district, and that’s exactly what I did and that’s exactly what I’m going to continue to do,” he said, adding there was no guarantee funding for the bridge would get final approval.
Stauber says he expects immigration and mining to be major issues in the 2024 campaign. He also calls turmoil that resulted in the ouster of Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy and more criticism of his replacement Mike Johnson “distractions” that he has opposed.
As for the 2024 presidential campaign, Stauber says he supports former President Donald Trump despite his myriad of ongoing legal troubles and a criminal trial starting April 15.
“There’s no perfect candidate, right? But look at what President Trump and his policies did for America,” Stauber says. “Interest rates are low. Wages are high. A secure border. Support for law enforcement. Peace through strength across the world.”
Stauber will face Democrat Jennifer Schultz in November in a rematch of the 2022 campaign, which Stauber won by 14 points over the former Minnesota House member. Schultz was a guest on “At Issue” last week.