¶ How To Win Against Pete Stauber
Pete Stauber voted to rip away health care and food assistance from Minnesotans. He made promises and then broke them to please his party leaders in Washington. He promised he would protect Medicare but voted for the Republican budget bill that would trigger cuts to Medicare. He promised he would protect Social Security but sat idly by while Donald Trump and DOGE weakened the Social Security Administration. Stauber pretended to care about the rising costs of prescription drugs but then voted against legislation that capped the price of certain prescription drugs, like insulin, for seniors. He voted against legislation that gave millions of dollars in funding for his district to improve roads, bridges, and airports then took credit for the grants once they got to Minnesota. Time after time Pete Stauber has proven he is not someone Minnesotans can trust to represent them.
¶ Stauber Voted To Take Health Coverage From Minnesotans
- Stauber voted for a bill that would kick 17 million Americans off their health insurance, including nearly 12 million Americans off of Medicaid. As a result of his vote, more than 22,000 Minnesotans in the 8th congressional district could lose their health insurance.
- Stauber was a staunch opponent of the Affordable Care Act and called it a “disaster” even though 150,000 Minnesotans relied on the law to obtain health insurance. He also opposed extending enhanced ACA premium subsidies that helped Minnesotans afford health insurance. As a result, Minnesotans who relied on the ACA for health insurance faced higher premium costs in 2026.
Message: Stauber voted to rip health care from thousands of Minnesotans all to give billionaires tax breaks.
¶ Stauber Supported Policies That Weakened Medicare And Social Security Despite His Promises to protect both programs
- Despite claiming he would always protect Medicare and Social Security for seniors, Stauber voted for House Republicans’ reconciliation bill, which would trigger nearly $500 billion in Medicare cuts, absent future congressional action.
- Stauber touted joining the congressional DOGE Caucus at the same time Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency was weakening Americans’ ability to access the Social Security Administration. Stauber did nothing to stand up for the 193,000 Minnesotans in the 8th congressional district who relied on Social Security benefits.
- Stauber was also a member of the Republican Study Committee, which advocated for raising the retirement age and turning Medicare into a voucher system.
Message: Stauber promised he would protect Medicare and Social Security, then he supported policies that weakened both programs.
¶ Stauber Voted Against Lowering The Price Of prescription Drugs For Seniors
- Despite previously expressing concern about the high cost of prescription drugs, in 2022, Stauber voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, which included provisions aimed at lowering the cost of prescription drugs for seniors on Medicare. He called the provisions “innovation killing price controls” and believed the Inflation Reduction Act was “egregious.”
Message: Stauber voted against alleviating costs for seniors who were paying too much out of pocket for prescription drugs.
¶ Stauber Voted For The Largest Food Assistance Cut In History
- Stauber voted for a bill that made the largest SNAP cut in history, while also telling his constituents it would actually strengthen SNAP. His vote threatened food assistance for more than 28,000 Minnesotan households in the 8th congressional district.
Message: Stauber voted to cut food assistance that Minnesotans relied on to buy groceries, all to fund tax breaks for billionaires.
¶ Stauber Defended Trump’s Tariffs Despite the Harm it brought To minnesota Farmers And Small Businesses
- Stauber voted six times to protect Trump’s tariffs including in April 2025, when Stauber was the deciding vote to protect Trump’s tariffs.
- Stauber expressed support for the tariffs despite the harm they were causing to Minnesota farmers and small businesses. Tariffs contributed to higher food prices, “mega-layoffs” across the country, and amounted to a $1,000 tax increase on Americans.
Message: Stauber was the deciding vote to raise prices on Minnesotans, while making it harder for Minnesota small businesses and farmers to succeed.
¶ Stauber Was An Anti-choice Extremist
- In 2022, Stauber praised the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe V. Wade.
- On Stauber’s old campaign website he also said he believed life began at conception and claimed he would always be a “voice for the right to life.” When he got to congress he even co-sponsored a nationwide abortion ban.
- He spent several years advocating for the so-called “Born-Alive” bills and voted against the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would have codified Roe V. Wade.
Message: Stauber was an extremist who wanted to restrict women’s reproductive freedoms and choice.
¶ It Took Stauber 11 Months To Vote To Release The Epstein Files, And He Did Only After Trump Signaled To House Republicans That He Approved
- Stauber claimed he wanted more government transparency and accountability, but it took him 11 months to vote to release the Epstein files. In November 2025, Stauber finally voted to release the Epstein files, but only after Donald Trump gave House Republicans permission to do so.
- Previously, Stauber had cast the deciding vote against releasing the Epstein files, protecting the accused pedophiles named within them. Stauber also never signed the discharge petition that called for their release and he never co-sponsored Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna’s resolution calling for their release.
Message: Stauber claimed to be an advocate for more government transparency and accountability, but it took him 11 months to vote to release the Epstein files, and he did only after Trump gave Republicans permission.
¶ As A County Commissioner, Stauber Used A Government Email To Conduct Political Work
- In 2018, a public records request found Stauber violated St. Louis county policy when he was a County Commissioner by utilizing his government email to conduct campaign work. St. Louis county had refused to release the emails, claiming they were private data, but Minnesota Democrats sued the county, ultimately forcing the release of the emails.
- The emails showed that he had been communicating with the NRCC about political work with his government email.
Message: Stauber took advantage of his office and constituents by violating county policy to further his own political career.
¶ Stauber Frequently Took Credit For Infrastructure Funding He Voted Against
- Stauber voted against the bipartisan infrastructure package that helped fund roads, bridges, and airports in his district. He labeled the funding as a “multi-trillion-dollar tax-and-spend spree,” but when airports, highways, and bridges in his district were benefiting from that funding, he claimed to h is constituents that he was “proud” to secure that funding.
Message: Stauber is just another DC swamp creature who votes against critical funding for Minnesotans then tries to take credit when it helps his district.
¶ Stauber Refused To Stand Up For Minnesotans When ICE Officers Occupied Their State, Killed Two Residents, And Hurt Businesses
- In January 2026, Trump sent 2,000 federal officers to Minnesota for the “largest immigration operation ever.” Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers faced resistance from Minnesotans, who were then met with force by agents, some even used tear gas and pepper spray against protestors. Stauber failed to speak up against the Trump administration and enabled ICE’s rampage despite heavy dissent from his constituents.
- During the month of January, ICE shot and killed two Minnesotans. Instead of urging the Trump administration to hold ICE accountable and leave the state, Stauber blamed their deaths on Democratic politicians and their “hateful rhetoric.” He made it clear he wanted Minnesota officials to do more to cooperate with ICE, even though Minnesota businesses suffered because of their presence.
Message: Stauber enabled an invasion of federal officers into his state and then blamed Democrats to avoid accountability when things became deadly and businesses suffered.
¶ Issue Briefs
¶ Pete Stauber Supported Policies That Hurt Every Day Minnesotans
Stauber Voted To Take Health Coverage From Minnesotans
Stauber Supported Policies That Weakened Social Security and Medicare Despite His Promises To Strengthen Both Programs
Stauber Voted Against Lowering Prescription Drug Costs For Seniors
Stauber Voted To Take Food Assistance From Minnesotans
Stauber Supported Tariffs That Raised Prices On Minnesotans
Stauber Was An Anti-Choice Extremist
Stauber Refused To Stand Up For Minnesota When ICE Occupied Their State, Killed Two Residents, And Hamstrung Businesses
¶ Pete Stauber Used His Power To Benefit The Powerful And Himself
It Took Stauber 11 Months To Vote To Release The Epstein Files And He Did Only After Trump Said It Was Okay
As A County Commissioner Stauber Got Caught Using A Government Email For Political Business
Stauber Repeatedly Took Credit For Infrastructure Funding He Voted Against
Stauber's Key Votes In Congress