Rep. Stauber 'keeping all options open' regarding Minnesota governor bid

Minnesota Republicans are already chewing over who might be the party's best challenger to Gov. Tim Walz next year. GOP insiders perceive the possibility of a vulnerable Walz, given that his first term has been largely defined by the disruptions of a pandemic and fallout from the death of George Floyd in police custody.

That may or may not be true. No public polls to date have shown any major warning signs for the Democratic incumbent. And Minnesota Republicans have a statewide losing streak of long standing that they need to dig their way out of.

But chatter around a possible bid by U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber raises the prospect of the kind of actual marquee race that many in the GOP felt was denied the party in 2014 and 2018 because of successive lackluster bids by Jeff Johnson.

A sitting congressman who's now won two successive races in the former Democratic stronghold of northeastern Minnesota, Stauber offers a law enforcement background, unusually strong ties to organized labor for a Republican and middle-of-the-road political instincts.

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Stauber signed onto a failed lawsuit to overturn presidential results in several swing states. He voted against impeaching Trump twice. But unlike the majority of House Republicans, he voted to certify President Joe Biden's victory.

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https://www.startribune.com/rep-stauber-isn-t-ruling-out-statewide-run/600025443/