Who is Luke Gulbranson? Summer House star joins Minnesota congressional race to run against Pete Stauber

The Tieling native revealed his campaign via video, emphasizing his working-class background and concerns about the current political climate.

His arrival comes just weeks before the Democratic Farmers’ Labor Party’s (DFL) endorsement conference, making the race even more competitive.

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“I know what it’s like to be without power several times, to need food assistance or go hungry, to need Medicaid or not see a doctor,” he said. “But I had hockey. I had woods. I had people in Iron Ridge who taught me how to keep going,” he said in a campaign video.

“I’m close to the people in northern Minnesota. I’m a small-town kid. I know the hardships, I know what they’re going through,” he told the Star Tribune in an interview.

Gulbranson pointed to the political environment in Washington in explaining his decision to run.

“I wake up every morning and see dangerous rhetoric and crazy rhetoric coming out of Washington, and I can’t stand it,” he said. “I see what’s happening in our country and I care so much that I can’t look away.” He also added in the campaign video that it was “real drama with real consequences.”

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“I would have loved to have been recognized by the DFL, that would have been fantastic. But the reality is, I’m late to the game,” he said.

“We’re going to do everything we can to win the primary, take on Pete Stauber and beat him,” he added in the interview.

Stauber, who has held the seat since Democrat Rick Nolan retired in 2018, is a strong incumbent in a district that has tilted toward Donald Trump in recent elections. Gulbranson believes his local roots and outsider image can help him connect with voters in northern Minnesota, Kare 11 reported.