DULUTH, MN — Trina Swanson, the DFL-endorsed candidate in Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District, has officially filed to run against Republican U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber.
Swanson announced her filing Tuesday at the Minnesota State Capitol, according to her campaign.
The Hermantown native spent 25 years as a federal public servant, including as director of international operations at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, according to her campaign.
Swanson’s campaign said she left federal service in 2025 rather than carry out directives she considered unethical.
“I am so proud of where we are today. From a campfire at Lake Elora, to almost 500 volunteers and a strong staff that’s committed to doing this,” Swanson said in a statement. “I am going to be your next U.S. representative in Congress come November, when we defeat Pete.”
Swanson is running on universal health care, business investment in stable industries, union jobs with livable wages and federal funding for day cares, schools and rural hospitals, according to her campaign.
Her campaign also drew contrasts with Stauber over Medicaid cuts and his support for copper-nickel sulfide mining in the Boundary Waters watershed.
Stauber, a Republican from Duluth, is serving his fourth term in Congress and is seeking reelection in the 8th District. His official congressional biography says he is focused on “unleashing the economic engine” of the region.
Stauber chairs the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources and has made mining and critical minerals a central part of his work in Congress.
Earlier this year, Stauber celebrated House passage of his Critical Mineral Dominance Act, which he said would help the United States reduce its reliance on foreign adversaries for critical and rare earth minerals.
Stauber has also backed efforts to reverse a Biden-era mining ban near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a long-running flashpoint in northern Minnesota politics. Supporters argue copper, nickel and other minerals are needed for jobs, national security and technology.
Opponents warn that sulfide mining threatens the Boundary Waters watershed.
The Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office lists Stauber and Anthony Hamilton as Republican candidates in the 8th District race.
The office lists Luke Gulbranson, John Munter and Swanson as Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidates.
The primary election is Aug. 11. The general election is Nov. 3.
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