Swanson, Stauber offer very different solutions
REGIONAL — Trina Swanson is looking to defeat incumbent Pete Stauber this November in Minnesota’s Eighth Congressional District race, but if recent history is any guide, she has her work cut out for her. Stauber, who first won the seat in 2018, is now in his fourth term, having won by double digit margins.
But 2026 is shaping up to be an unusual midterm cycle. The high cost of groceries, gas, and health care has moved to the forefront of America’s political consciousness and polling suggests that congressional seats once considered safe for Republican candidates could be up for grabs in some cases. Democrats and Republicans seem to agree that Americans are feeling the squeeze, tightening their belts, and cutting their budgets across the country. Now, two questions hang over the midterms: Who’s to blame for rising costs, and what’s the solution?
Trina Swanson, a lawyer, is a first-time candidate in Minnesota politics. Originally from Hermantown, Swanson worked for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for 20 years. During that time, she worked in multiple countries and ran the USCIS offices in Nairobi and Minneapolis. While working for USCIS in Washington, D.C., a representative from the Department of Government Efficiency asked her to check on a visa for their nanny. Instead of giving privileged treatment to the DOGE member, she quit and started her own immigration law firm.
Now Swanson is running for the Eighth District seat on a platform focused on affordability.
In an interview with The Timberjay, Swanson expressed concern about what she described as “chaos in Washington.” Throughout her campaign, she has blamed federal policies, including President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the war in Iran, for rising prices.
“We need steady, predictable policies so families and small businesses can plan ahead,” Swanson said.
Swanson said her legislative priorities include universal health care, stronger federal funding for child care, schools and hospitals, and attracting industries that offer well-paying union jobs to the district. She also emphasized the importance of enforcing antitrust laws to lower costs.
“We need antitrust laws enforced so a handful of companies can’t drive up the cost of food, fuel, and everyday essentials,” Swanson said.
Swanson emphasized the need for stable, well-paying jobs and identified several industries she hopes can grow in Minnesota.
“We need investment in new industries like clean energy, steel, and batteries to store renewable energy, industries that will create jobs that keep up with the cost of living,” Swanson said.
Swanson also called for increased federal support for infrastructure, special education, early childhood programs, and other services that working families rely on.
Swanson said she has held more than 185 public events since January, traveling throughout the district to hear directly from residents. Her visits have included schools, hospitals, child care centers, assisted living facilities, union halls and small businesses. She also criticized what she described as years of representation by Stauber that’s been focused on partisan politics rather than residents’ everyday concerns.
In contrast, Stauber’s approach to affordability centers on expanding domestic industry, particularly mining, and reducing what he sees as barriers to economic growth.
Stauber, a Duluth native, entered Congress in 2019 after a career in law enforcement and local government. He served more than two decades with the Duluth Police Department, played professional hockey for the Detroit Red Wings, and held seats on the Hermantown City Council and St. Louis County Board of Commissioners.
“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,” Stauber said.
He said he was proud to join Trump at the White House when the president signed Stauber’s legislation to reverse a 20-year mineral ban imposed under the Biden administration. The lifted restriction cleared a major roadblock to the development of the Twin Metals mine, owned by Chilean mining company Antofagasta PLC. The administration, however, has yet to issue any new mineral leases for the project despite the lifting of the ban.
“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,” Stauber said.
Although Stauber acknowledged that he would not always express himself in the same way as the president, he praised Trump for prioritizing American industry.
Stauber is also focused on fraud. He cited two pieces of legislation he introduced: the Stop Fraud by SOMALIA Act, which would strengthen penalties for child care providers who defraud the Child Care and Development Fund block grant program, and the FRAUD Act, which would establish criminal penalties for state leaders who knowingly fail to report 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,” Stauber said.
He said taxpayers should be confident that public funds are being used for legitimate services.
“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,” Stauber said.
The race between Swanson and Stauber will test how voters in Minnesota’s Eighth District respond to two different approaches to the region’s economic future.
Whether her focus on household costs and public investment can persuade enough voters remains to be seen.
