REGIONAL- Eighth District Congressman Pete Stauber won another term in the U.S. House on Tuesday, handily defeating DFL opponent Jen Schultz.
In a rematch of the 2020 race, Schultz failed to cut into Stauber’s base despite a vigorous campaign effort. Stauber garnered 247,295 votes to Schultz’s 176,551, a 58-42 percent advantage, nearly identical to the 57-43 edge he held in 2022.
That the Eighth has turned into a Republican stronghold can be seen in the election results in the district up and down the ballot. Across the same set of precincts reporting, Donald Trump won 56 percent of the district’s votes, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Royce White edged Democrat incumbent Amy Klobuchar, and Republicans won 20 of 22 Minnesota House races by an average margin of 60-39 percent.
The two places where Schultz trounced Stauber were in Cook and St. Louis counties. Schultz outpolled Stauber 66-33 percent in Cook and 55-45 percent in St. Louis. Lake County narrowly fell into Schultz’s column, but she fared poorly in the remainder of the 18 counties wholly or partially covered by the district, losing by an average of 30 percentage points.
Stauber also bested Schultz in House District 3A, 55-44 percent.
Stauber issued a statement Tuesday evening after the race was called in his favor.
“I continue to be humbled by the strong showing of support from the voters of the Eighth Congressional district tonight and I pledge to continue fighting in Congress for their way of life and faithfully representing the values they hold closely,” he said. “I’ve heard the voters loud and clear: they are fed up with skyrocketing prices, an open southern border, and chaos abroad. I look forward to turning the page on the past four disastrous years and hopefully working alongside President Trump to put America first and get our economy moving again by becoming energy and critical mineral dominant. We must close the southern border and restore our standing in the world where America will once again be respected by friends and foes. To my constituents, I reaffirm this commitment to you: I will always put you first, I will always have your backs, and I will always fight relentlessly for our way of life.”
Schultz also offered a statement conceding the election to Stauber and reflecting on her campaign.
“While tonight’s results are not what we wanted, I couldn’t be prouder of the campaign we built together,” Schultz said. “We fought for the issues that matter most to the people of northern Minnesota—affordable health care, reproductive freedom, and a fair economy that works for everyone. Though we came up short, our fight was never in vain, and I will always be grateful for the belief people placed in me. Though we didn’t win this time, I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who gave their time, their energy, and their resources to this campaign. The movement doesn’t end tonight. We’ve built something special here, and the relationships we forged and the conversations we had will continue to shape the future of northern Minnesota.”