First-term GOP Rep. Pete Stauber defeats Democrat Quinn Nystrom to maintain control of Minnesota's 8th Congressional District

• The first-term Rep. Pete Stauber, a Republican, has successfully defended his seat in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District from the Democrat Quinn Nystrom, according to Decision Desk HQ.
• The district is one of just three in the US that flipped from Democratic to Republican in the 2018 midterm elections.
• The 8th District covers most of the northeastern region of Minnesota.
• See the live coverage and full results from all US House elections.

The freshman GOP Rep. Pete Stauber has defended his seat against the Democratic challenger Quinn Nystrom in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District, according to Decision Desk HQ.

The candidates

Stauber played in the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings and the Florida Panthers. Following his hockey career, Stauber became a police officer in Duluth for 22 years. In that time, he rose to the rank of area commander and became the president of the local Law Enforcement Labor Services Union.

In 2018, Stauber defeated the Democrat Joe Radinovich by 5.5 percentage points after the incumbent, Rick Nolan, announced his retirement and plans to run for lieutenant governor. Stauber was one of just three Republicans in 2018 to flip a Democratic seat to a Republican seat in the House.

Nystrom is a fourth-generation Minnesotan. Nystrom served on the Baxter, Minnesota, city council while simultaneously working as the council liaison for the Community Behavioral Health Hospital. Nystrom's campaign centered on making healthcare affordable, supporting Native communities, ending the opioid epidemic, and expanding the economy.

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The district

Minnesota's 8th Congressional District covers the entire mideastern region of the state. It is home to the Vermilion and Mesabi iron ranges as well as the Superior National Forest. The district also includes the counties of Aitkin, Carlton, Cass, Chisago, Cook, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Kanabec, Koochiching, Lake, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, St. Louis, and Wadena.

While the district voted Democratically in the four presidential elections preceding it, the 8th District voted for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton in a 54-39% split, according to Daily Kos.

The money race

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Stauber raised over $2.4 million, spent over $2 million, and has about $413,000 in cash on while Nystrom raised over $1.2 million, spent $1.2 million, and has a little over $71,000 in cash on hand.

What experts say

The race between Stauber and Nystrom was rated as "safe Republican" by Inside Elections, the Cook Political Report, and Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.