REGIONAL — Luke Gulbranson, an Eveleth native and reality television personality, announced this week that he is running as a Democrat for Congress in Minnesota’s Eighth District, challenging four-term Republican Rep. Pete Stauber.
Gulbranson, who has appeared on reality TV series including “Summer House” and “Selling the OC,” enters the race just weeks before the Eighth District DFL endorsing convention and told the Minneapolis Star Tribune last week that he plans to run in a primary if he does not secure the party’s endorsement.
He joins several other Democrats already seeking the nomination in a district that has trended Republican in recent years.
In a press release announcing his candidacy, Gulbranson said his campaign will focus on lowering costs for working families, protecting social programs, and expanding access to affordable health care, shaped by his upbringing on the Iron Range.
“Hockey, family, and community shaped who I am,” Gulbranson said. “I know what it’s like to worry about putting food on the table or paying the electric bill. I’ve lived the challenges so many families in this district are facing right now.”
Raised in a working-class family, Gulbranson said his household at times relied on food assistance, Medicaid, and Medicare.
After leaving Minnesota for a career in acting, modeling, and more recently luxury real estate, Gulbranson said he returned to Eveleth during the COVID-19 pandemic, where he built a home in the woods.
He splits his time between Minnesota, Los Angeles, and New York.
Gulbranson also owns a maple syrup company that is expected to launch in Target stores.
He said his decision to run was driven in part by concerns over federal policy, including impacts on rural health care access and debates over mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
“I’m very much for mining responsibly, following the rules and regulations,” Gulbranson said in the Star Tribune interview. “But this bill that Stauber’s trying to pass, I don’t agree with it.”
Gulbranson said he believes his background as a political outsider with roots in the district will resonate with voters and pointed to his social media following as an advantage.
“I would love to have the DFL endorsement,” he said. “But the reality is, I am getting in late. We’re going to put our best foot forward and work our tails off to win the primary.”
His campaign has already drawn support from Eveleth native and U.S. Olympic curling coach Phill Drobnick.
“Luke knows what it’s like to grow up in a household where every dollar matters. He’s seen firsthand how rising costs and an uneven economy hurt families on the Iron Range,” Drobnick said. “In my experience coaching at the Olympic level, success comes down to discipline, trust, and putting the team first. Luke brings that same mindset, and northern Minnesota needs that kind of leadership in Congress.”