Pete Stauber

Pete Stauber is an American politician and former law enforcement officer serving as the U.S. Representative for Minnesota's 8th congressional district since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served on the Duluth City Council and as a police officer with the Duluth Police Department. Stauber's district encompasses northeastern Minnesota, including the Iron Range and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Early life and education

Peter Allen Stauber was born in Duluth, Minnesota, and was raised in the city's Hermanntown neighborhood. He attended Hermantown High School, where he was a standout athlete in ice hockey and football, earning a scholarship to play college hockey at Lake Superior State University. After an injury, he transferred to Lake Superior College in Duluth, where he earned an Associate of Science degree in law enforcement. He later completed a Bachelor of Arts in criminology at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Early career

Prior to his political career, Stauber served for over two decades as a police officer and detective with the Duluth Police Department. During his tenure, he was involved in community policing initiatives and served as a liaison to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Joint Terrorism Task Force. He also served in the United States Army Reserve from 1991 to 1997, achieving the rank of Captain. Following his law enforcement career, Stauber worked in sales for the Amsoil corporation. He entered public office in 2015, winning a seat on the nonpartisan Duluth City Council, where he focused on issues of public safety and infrastructure.

U.S. House of Representatives

Stauber was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in the 2018 election, defeating Democratic candidate Joe Radinovich to succeed retiring DFL incumbent Rick Nolan. He was subsequently re-elected in 2020, 2022, and 2024. In the 118th United States Congress, he serves on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Agriculture Committee. He is the chairman of the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee, where he advocates for mining projects like the proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Political positions

Stauber is considered a conservative Republican, aligning with the House Republican Conference and the America First Policies agenda. He is a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, the mining industry in the Iron Range, and domestic energy production, including copper mining and iron ore extraction. He has voted against the Inflation Reduction Act and the American Rescue Plan, and has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration's environmental and economic policies. He supports restrictions on abortion and was among the representatives who voted to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the aftermath of the January 6 Capitol attack.

Electoral history

In his initial run for Minnesota's 8th congressional district in 2018, Stauber defeated Joe Radinovich and Ray "Skip" Sandman of the Legal Marijuana Now Party. He won re-election in 2020 against DFL candidate Quinn Nystrom. In the 2022 midterm elections, he defeated Jennifer Schultz, a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. His most recent victory came in the 2024 election against DFL candidate John Munter.

Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota Category:Minnesota Republicans Category:People from Duluth, Minnesota Category:University of Minnesota Duluth alumni