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Pete Stauber

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pete Stauber
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota's 8th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2019
Preceded byRick Nolan
Member of the
St. Louis County Commission
from the 5th district
In office
January 1, 2013 – January 3, 2019
Preceded byPeg Sweeney
Succeeded byKeith Musolf
Personal details
Born
Peter Allen Stauber

(1966-05-10) May 10, 1966 (age 58)
Duluth, Minnesota, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseJodi Stauber
RelationsDan Stauber (brother)
Robb Stauber (brother)
Children6
EducationLake Superior State University (BA)
WebsiteHouse website
Ice hockey career
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position Left wing
Shot Left
Played for Lake Superior State Lakers
Adirondack Red Wings
Toledo Storm
Playing career 1986–1993
Police career
DepartmentDuluth Police Department
Service years1995–2017
RankLieutenant

Peter Allen Stauber (born May 10, 1966)[1] is an American politician, former professional hockey player, and retired law enforcement officer from Minnesota serving as the United States representative for Minnesota's 8th congressional district. A member of the Republican Party, Stauber has represented the district since 2019.[2]

Stauber was born and grew up in Duluth, Minnesota. He played college hockey for Lake Superior State University, where as a star player on the team, he led the Lakers to a national championship in the 1988 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. Stauber met his political idol President Ronald Reagan when the team visited the White House after winning the national championship. He later said this event formed his political ambition.[3] He went on to have a brief career in professional hockey. Stauber served as a lieutenant in the Duluth Police Department from 1995 to 2017. During his service as a police officer, he was shot while on duty. He also served as a county commissioner in St. Louis County, Minnesota, from 2013 to 2019.

Stauber succeeded DFL incumbent Rick Nolan by defeating Democratic nominee Joe Radinovich in the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections. Representing a working-class and mostly rural district, Stauber is only the second Republican to represent his district since 1947.

Early life and education

[edit]

Stauber was born on May 10, 1966, in Duluth, Minnesota. He and his brothers, John, Jamie, Bill, Dan and Robb, all played hockey at various levels, but only Robb played in the National Hockey League (NHL).[4][5] Stauber attended Denfeld High School in Duluth[6] and graduated from Lake Superior State University with a bachelor's degree in criminology.

Hockey career

[edit]

College

[edit]
Stauber with President Reagan

Stauber was a star player for the Lake Superior State Lakers.[7][6][8][5][9] He is credited with helping lead the Lakers to victory in the playoffs and the 1988 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Championship game.[10][11] Lake Superior "became the smallest school ever to win college hockey's biggest prize."[6] In that game, Stauber took a critical shot, described by opinion columnist Mike Mullen during Stauber's 2018 candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives as "risky, arguably crafty, and inarguably illegal,"[6] and by Star Tribune sportswriter John Gilbert in his 1988 story on the championship game as the moment when "Pete Stauber got away undetected when he straight-armed the net off its moorings during a Saints rush with 1:23 to go in regulation."[12]

After winning the national championship, the team was invited to the White House, where Stauber met President Ronald Reagan, an event he has called a pivotal moment in the formation of his interest in politics.[6]

Professional

[edit]

In 1990, Stauber signed a multi-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings.[13] He played three seasons with affiliate club Adirondack Red Wings in the American Hockey League (AHL), and played 25 regular season games with the Toledo Storm in the ECHL, as well as a successful Riley Cup play-off run during the 1991–92 season.[14] The Florida Panthers selected him from the Red Wings in the 1993 NHL expansion draft.[15] However, due to a longstanding neck injury, he announced his retirement and joined the Duluth Police Department, where he served for 23 years.[14]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1984–85 Austin Mavericks MWJHL 8 3 6 9
1985–86 Rochester Mustangs MWJHL 46 40 28 68 58
1986–87 Lake Superior State University WCHA 40 22 13 35 80
1987–88 Lake Superior State University WCHA 45 25 33 58 103
1988–89 Lake Superior State University WCHA 46 25 13 38 115
1989–90 Lake Superior State University WCHA 46 25 31 56 90
1990–91 Adirondack Red Wings USHL 26 7 11 18 2
1991–92 Adirondack Red Wings USHL 25 2 5 7 14
1991–92 Toledo Storm ECHL 25 7 21 28 46 5 2 3 5 46
1992–93 Adirondack Red Wings USHL 12 2 2 4 8
WCHA totals 177 97 90 232 388
USHL totals 63 11 18 29 24

U.S. House of Representatives

[edit]
Stauber in 2018

Elections

[edit]

2018

[edit]

In June 2018, Donald Trump campaigned for Stauber during his run for U.S. Representative, making his first visit to Minnesota as president and attending his first rally to support a Republican candidate for the House of Representatives in the 2018 general election, visiting Stauber's hometown of Duluth.[16][17] At the time, Stauber had been involved in local politics, serving since 2013 as a member of the St. Louis County, Minnesota Commission (which includes Duluth). He had also served on the Hermantown City Council for eight years.[18]

The 8th district had an open seat in a previously Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL)-held district where the last two elections were close.[17][19][20] Partisan funders on both sides of the aisle reserved "millions" of dollars for advertising in a race widely regarded as a potential Republican pickup of a seat that had been held since 2013 by Rick Nolan.[21] In November, Stauber defeated the DFL nominee, former Nolan aide Joe Radinovich, to become only the fifth person to represent the district in 71 years, and the second Republican to do so. He won primarily by running up his margins in the district's more conservative western portion.

During his 2018 campaign, Stauber ran on a policy of allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, becoming only one of a handful of Republicans to endorse what was primarily a progressive idea.[22] Stauber has since walked back from his campaign pledge.[22]

2020

[edit]

Stauber was reelected on November 4, 2020, defeating DFL nominee Quinn Nystrom, becoming the first Republican in 76 years to be reelected in the 8th district.[23] In December 2020, he filed a motion to support Texas v. Pennsylvania, described as a "seditious abuse of the judicial process" and aimed at invalidating millions of votes in various swing states. The Duluth News Tribune, which had endorsed Stauber, and many other local officials sharply criticized him for the ploy in an open letter.[24]

2022

[edit]

Stauber was reelected on November 8, 2022, defeating DFL nominee Jennifer Schultz.[25]

Tenure

[edit]

According to the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, Stauber held a Bipartisan Index Score of 0.7 in the 116th United States Congress for 2019, which placed him 64th out of 435 members.[26] Based on FiveThirtyEight's congressional vote tracker at ABC News, Stauber voted with Donald Trump's stated public policy positions 90.4% of the time,[27] which ranked him average in the 116th United States Congress when predictive scoring (district partisanship and voting record) is used.[28]

On September 30, 2020, Stauber hosted Trump in a visit to his district, attending a rally of about 3,000 people at the Duluth International Airport. Along with two of his Minnesota Republican House colleagues, Stauber rode with Trump on Air Force One.[29] After it was determined that Stauber had interacted with people who tested positive for COVID-19 in Washington D.C., including Trump, Stauber took a Delta flight in violation of Delta's rules, potentially exposing the other passengers to the virus.[30]

In December 2020, Stauber was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated Trump.[31]

A group of Ojibwe tribes from Stauber's district rebuked him for his attempts to block President Biden's nomination of Deb Haaland as United States Secretary of the Interior. The Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes also complained about his actions. A member of the House subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples, Stauber cited Haaland's support of the Green New Deal and opposition to oil drilling. As a member of the House, he did not vote on the nomination.[32]

During the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election in January 2023, Stauber consistently voted for Kevin McCarthy.[33] In October 2023, he voted against removing McCarthy as speaker, which was unsuccessful and resulted in another election.[34] Stauber backed Jim Jordan on the first ballot and Bruce Westerman on the next two ballots[35] before voting for Mike Johnson on the fourth and final ballot.[36] In December 2023, he was among the 105 Republicans who voted to expel George Santos from the House.[37]

In April and May 2023, Stauber introduced a resolution and bill to end mineral withdrawal in Ely, Minnesota, as a response to a moratorium the Biden administration enacted the previous year.[38] In April 2024, the House of Representatives passed Stauber's bill, 212–203. It is unlikely to pass the Democratic–controlled Senate, and the White House has publicly voiced its opposition to it.[39][40]

Committee assignments

[edit]

For the 118th Congress:[41]

Caucus memberships

[edit]

Electoral history

[edit]
Republican primary results, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Pete Stauber 44,814 89.9
Republican Harry Welty 5,021 10.1
Total votes 49,835 100.0
Minnesota's 8th congressional district, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Pete Stauber 159,364 50.7
Democratic (DFL) Joe Radinovich 141,948 45.2
Independence Ray "Skip" Sandman 12,741 4.0
n/a Write-ins 156 0.1
Total votes 314,209 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic (DFL)
Minnesota's 8th congressional district, 2020[48]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Pete Stauber (incumbent) 223,432 56.7
Democratic (DFL) Quinn Nystrom 147,853 37.6
Grassroots Judith Schwartzbacker 22,190 5.6
Write-in 236 0.1
Total votes 393,711 100.0
Republican hold
Minnesota's 8th congressional district, 2022[49]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Pete Stauber (incumbent) 188,755 57.2
Democratic (DFL) Jennifer Schultz 141,009 42.7
Write-in 316 0.1
Total votes 330,080 100.0
Republican hold

Personal life

[edit]

Of German ancestry, Stauber lives in Hermantown, where he and his family belong to the St. Lawrence Catholic Church.[50] He is married to his wife, Jodi, an Iraq War veteran and the first female Command Chief of the 148th Fighter Wing.[51] The couple have six children.[52] Their eldest son, Levi, plays as a forward for the Michigan Tech Huskies.[53]

Stauber and his brothers run the Stauber Brothers Military Heroes Hockey Camp, a summer program for children with parents in the military.[54] The six co-own the Duluth Hockey Company, which began as a sporting goods retailer but since 2015 has specialized in hockey-related merchandise.[55][56] During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company received over $86,000 in relief funds from the Paycheck Protection Program.[57][58]

As one of his sons has Down syndrome, Stauber has advocated for continuing medical research of the genetic disorder. He received the Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award from the Global Down Syndrome Foundation in 2023.[59]

While on police duty in 1995, Stauber was shot and lightly wounded in the head when a bullet entered his squad car.[60][18][61]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "FILING FEC-1253744".
  2. ^ Pathé, Simone (June 20, 2018). "Why is Trump Headed to Duluth and Who Is Pete Stauber?". Roll Call. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  3. ^ "Meet Pete Stauber | Pete Stauber". Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  4. ^ Gilbert, John (December 25, 1987). "Staubers field complete team with Robb in the nets". Star Tribune. ProQuest 417850811.
  5. ^ a b Gilbert, John (April 2, 1988). "A breakaway dream: Stauber vs. Stauber". Star Tribune. ProQuest 417915863.
  6. ^ a b c d e Mullen, Mike (March 13, 2018). "Hockey hero and would-be congressman Pete Stauber won't talk about cheating". City Pages. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  7. ^ Gilbert, John (March 31, 1988). "'U' goalie Stauber wins Hobey Baker". Star Tribune. ProQuest 417870483.
  8. ^ "COLLEGE HOCKEY: N.C.A.A./Friday's Games; BADGERS PUT FOCUS ON DEFENSE". The New York Times (east coast, late edition). AP. March 26, 1989. ProQuest 427127185.
  9. ^ Allen, Kevin (October 20, 1988). "Star goalie Stauber makes Minnesota team to beat". USA Today. ProQuest 306129087.
  10. ^ Powers, John (March 31, 1988). "IT'S A FIRST FOR MAINE, LAKE SUPERIOR A NEW RIVALRY IN FINAL FOUR". Boston Globe. ProQuest 294420673.
  11. ^ "Overtime nets Lake Superior NCAA hockey championship". Vancouver Sun. April 4, 1988. ProQuest 243657055.
  12. ^ Gilbert, John (April 3, 1988). "Superior captures crown". Star Tribune. ProQuest 417913244.
  13. ^ "Wings sign Stauber". The Province, Vancouver, B.C. June 22, 1990. ProQuest 267368875.
  14. ^ a b Gulitti, Tom (February 5, 2019). "Stauber brings experience to Congressional Hockey Challenge". NHL.com. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  15. ^ "Red Wings not hurt by expansion". Detroit News. June 25, 1993.
  16. ^ Rogers, Katie; Martin, Jonathan (June 20, 2018). "'We're Sending Them the Hell Back,' Trump Says of Securing the Country's Borders". The New York Times. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  17. ^ a b Brody, Sam (June 27, 2018). "Trump is all in on Pete Stauber. Will the 8th District follow suit?". MinnPost. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  18. ^ a b "Endorsement: Stauber has unbeatable qualifications (ex catherdra editorial endorsement)". Duluth News Tribune. July 30, 2018. ProQuest 2078949687.
  19. ^ Jamerson, Joshua (August 10, 2018). "In a Challenging Year for House Republicans, Party Sees Hope in Minnesota". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  20. ^ Karnowski, Steve (August 10, 2018). "Democrats' hopes to take House could stumble in Minnesota". The Washington Post. AP. Archived from the original on August 10, 2018. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  21. ^ Pathe, Simone (August 14, 2015). "Radinovich Will Face Stauber in Top GOP Pickup Opportunity in Minnesota". Roll Call. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  22. ^ a b "Two Republicans campaigned on bold drug price reforms, then backpedaled". STAT. May 24, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  23. ^ Bierschbach, Briana (November 4, 2020). "Rep. Pete Stauber secures historic win in northeastern Minnesota". Star Tribune. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  24. ^ "Duluth mayor, local officials criticize Stauber for challenging presidential election results". Duluth News Tribune. December 14, 2020.
  25. ^ Lovrien, Jimmy (November 9, 2022). "8th Congressional District: Stauber wins over Schultz". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  26. ^ "The Lugar Center - McCourt School Bipartisan Index House Scores 116th Congress First Session (2019)" (PDF). Georgetown University. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  27. ^ "Tracking Congress In The Age Of Trump - Pete Stauber". ABC News. January 30, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  28. ^ "Tracking Congress In The Age Of Trump". ABC News. January 30, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  29. ^ Bierschbach, Briana (October 2, 2020). "Prominent Minnesota Republicans in quarantine, seeking COVID-19 tests after Trump visit". Star Tribune.
  30. ^ "Minnesota Republicans fly Delta home from D.C. after COVID-19 exposure". Star Tribune. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  31. ^ "List: The 126 House members, 19 states and 2 imaginary states that backed Texas' challenge to Trump defeat". The Mercury News. Bay Area News Group. December 15, 2020.
  32. ^ "Tribal leaders blast congressman opposed to Biden nomination". AP NEWS. January 19, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  33. ^ McCartney, Allison; Parlapiano, Alicia; Wu, Ashley; Zhang, Christine; Williams, Josh; Cochrane, Emily; Murphy, John-Michael (January 6, 2023). "Vote Count: McCarthy Elected House Speaker After 15 Ballots". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 6, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  34. ^ Cook Escobar, Molly; Elliott, Kennedy; Levitt, Zach; Murphy, John-Michael; Parlapiano, Alicia; Reinhard, Scott; Shorey, Rachel; Wu, Ashley; Yourish, Yourish (October 3, 2023). "Live Vote Count: House Decides Whether to Oust McCarthy as Speaker". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 3, 2023. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  35. ^ Olson, Tom (October 18, 2023). "Stauber flips on speaker vote as House remains in chaos". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  36. ^ Gamio, Lazaro; González Gómez, Martín; Migliozzi, Blacki; Shao, Elena; Wu, Ashley; Murphy, John-Michael (October 25, 2023). "Vote Count: Mike Johnson Elected House Speaker After Three-Week Vacancy". The New York Times. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  37. ^ "Roll Call 691 | Bill Number: H. Res. 878". clerk.house.gov. December 1, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  38. ^ Lovrien, Jimmy (May 11, 2023). "Stauber introduces resolution, bill to end mineral withdrawal". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  39. ^ Lovrien, Jimmy (April 30, 2024). "US House passes Stauber bill to reverse mineral withdrawal near Boundary Waters". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  40. ^ Coombe, Tom (May 3, 2024). "Stauber bill clears U.S. House". The Ely Echo. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  41. ^ "Pete Stauber". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  42. ^ "Members". Republican Mains Street Partnership. Archived from the original on August 26, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2017.
  43. ^ "Membership". Republican Study Committee. December 6, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  44. ^ "Homepage of Republican Governance Group". Republican Governance Group. December 14, 2019.
  45. ^ "Problem Solvers Caucus Announces Membership and Executive Council for the 118th Congress". March 8, 2023. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  46. ^ "Featured Members". Problem Solvers Caucus. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  47. ^ "Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute".
  48. ^ "Results for All Congressional Districts". Minnesota Secretary of State. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  49. ^ "2022 General Election – Results for All Congressional Districts". Minnesota Secretary of State.
  50. ^ Kreger, Mike (March 11, 2014). "A papal keepsake: Hermantown's Pete Stauber trades headwear with Pope Francis". Duluth News Tribune. McClatchy. ProQuest 1506067038.
  51. ^ "Stauber spouse fiery for Trump at campaign rally". Duluth News Tribune. August 18, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  52. ^ Radelat, Ana (November 20, 2023). "Rep. Pete Stauber weighs in on Massachusetts foster care religious discrimination claim". MinnPost. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  53. ^ "Calls From Home: Stauber scores first collegiate goal for Huskies". Duluth News Tribune. December 27, 2022. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  54. ^ "Hockey camp gives thanks to military while honing skills". Duluth News Tribune. McClatchey. August 8, 2012. ProQuest 1032667279.
  55. ^ Renalls, Candace (October 4, 2015). "Stauber sports store goes all-hockey". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  56. ^ van Winkle, Mark (January 3, 2017). "Duluth Hockey Company Keeping Skaters Sharp on the Ice". Fox 21 local. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  57. ^ Bierschbach, Briana; Montemayor, Stephen (December 11, 2020). "Millions in federal relief goes to Minnesota companies with ties to lawmakers". Star Tribune. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  58. ^ Lovrien, Jimmy (July 3, 2023). "White House calls out Stauber over loan forgiveness". Duluth News Tribune. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  59. ^ "Congressman Pete Stauber: Global Down Syndrome Foundation 2023 Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award Recipient". globaldownsyndrome.org. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  60. ^ Hollingsworth, Jana (November 11, 2007). "man fires gun, wounds officer". Duluth News-Tribune. ProQuest 458935613.
  61. ^ Slater, Brady (February 18, 2018). "Stauber ready for his close-up in 8th District race". Duluth News Tribune. ProQuest 2002766166.
[edit]
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Minnesota's 8th congressional district

2019–present
Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus
2021–2023
Served alongside: Don Bacon, Mike Bost
Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
269th
Succeeded by