A union organizer has entered the race for the Minnesota 8th Congressional District seat.
Chad McKenna, 43, of Duluth, announced Thursday morning he is seeking the seat, which covers much of north-central and Northeastern Minnesota, and has said he’ll seek the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nomination.
McKenna said the district’s current representative, U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, a Republican from Hermantown, “has stopped working for us — his constituents.”
“He seems more focused on appeasing party bosses in Washington than supporting the policies that matter most to people here at home,” McKenna said in a news release. “If elected, I’ll do what Representative Stauber won’t: expand healthcare access, make childcare more affordable, make real investments in our infrastructure, strengthen our unions, and fight everyday for an economy that ensures that if you work hard, you can build a good life. I won’t side with corporate interests, out-of-state billionaires, and the political forces that seek to divide us.”
McKenna works as a labor relations field manager for the Minnesota Nurses Association, a union representing health care workers.
Stauber’s campaign declined to comment on McKenna entering the race.
Although the November 2026 election is still a year and a half away, four DFL candidates have entered the 8th District race.
According to Federal Election Commission filings, John-Paul McBride has also filed to run as a DFL candidate in the 8th Congressional District. Little is known about McBride’s campaign, which is registered to a West Duluth address, according to FEC filings.
Reached by phone Thursday morning, McBride said he was at work and would get back to the News Tribune when he was available.
McKenna and McBride join two other DFL candidates who entered the race in June: Cyle Cramer, 32, of Chisago City, and Emanuel Anastos, 25, of Tower.
Cramer, who grew up in Faribault, Minnesota, and served in the Army National Guard, works as an attorney for Nichols Kaster, PLLP in Minneapolis.
Anastos grew up on New York’s Long Island and came to Minnesota to attend Carleton College in Northfield. He works as an Indian child welfare case manager for the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa.
Stauber, who has held the seat since 2019, has also filed for reelection, according to the FEC.
A staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, Stauber said earlier this year he would not be running for governor or Minnesota’s open U.S. Senate seat in 2026.
A Republican has not won a statewide election in Minnesota since 2006, but the 8th Congressional District, once a Democratic stronghold and later a battleground, has moved safely into the red category.
Stauber most recently cruised to victory over DFL challenger Jen Schultz, of Duluth, with 58% of the vote, slightly higher than his margin over the same opponent in 2022.
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