Republican U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber and his DFL challenger, Trina Swanson, made their pitch to voters in the 8th Congressional District during a televised debate on WDIO News last night.

The two debated mining in the Boundary Waters, data centers and affordability during the hour-long livestreamed event, the first and possibly only debate in the race.

Over the summer, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz issued an executive order in an attempt to prevent mining of precious metals within the Boundary Waters watershed. That was four months after Congress overturned a 20 year federal ban on mining in the area.

Stauber, who has represented the district since 2018, strongly supports mining in the watershed.

“Every time the Democrats shut down mining, the Chinese Communist Party smiles,” Stauber said. “The demands for these critical minerals is only going to rise, and so we need to allow the permitting process to move forward."

Swanson said environmental factors need to be taken into account.

“Mining within three miles of the most pristine area that we have in the United States is not OK,” Swanson said. “It is not reasonable.”

Swanson worked for the Department of Homeland Security before quitting her job in 2025, when she said the Trump administration asked her to carry out actions she found to be unethical.

“We know that we have an administration and a Congress that is prioritizing the one percent, the billionaires, the corporations,” Swanson said. “Meanwhile, the working class, the laborers, the nurses, the teachers are all struggling.”

Stauber has become a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump.

“My opponent was an immigration attorney, and when she was asked to do her job and enforce our immigration laws, she quit,” Stauber said. “She had no problem under Joe Biden's wide-open border."

Swanson challenged Stauber for called Minnesota a “failed state,” which Stauber disputed. The Duluth News Tribune fact-checked Stauber’s comments.

The district, spanning roughly 30,000 square miles in northeastern Minnesota, voted for Trump by 14 points in 2024.

Collected from Minnesota Public Radio News. View original source here.