PRESS RELEASE | July 28, 2026
Contact: press@lgulbranson.com
EVELETH, MN — Luke Gulbranson, Democratic candidate for Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District, today called out DOGE cuts backed by Rep. Pete Stauber after reporting shows that a delayed federal wildfire prevention grant left the Superior National Forest more vulnerable to the fires now burning across the region.
Last year, a $10 million grant was approved to thin out thousands of acres of dead, dry forest across the Superior National Forest, including along the Echo Trail, to reduce wildfire risk. The work was shovel-ready. Then DOGE stepped in, and most of that work never got done. Now those same woods are on fire after the Sioux Fire jumped the Echo Trail.
“DOGE cuts supported by Pete Stauber are directly hurting Minnesota,” said Gulbranson. “These reckless and irresponsible cuts are putting lives at risk, draining resources, costing taxpayers, and impacting local businesses. This is what happens when ‘government efficiency’ means slashing the prevention work that actually keeps people safe, until the bill comes due in a way you can’t ignore. Pete Stauber has had every opportunity to stand up for Northeastern Minnesota on this. Where has he been?”
Officials and former U.S. Forest Service personnel have said the delayed prevention work could have slowed or blunted the fires now threatening homes and communities in the district.
Gulbranson is running in the Democratic primary for Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District, with the goal of challenging Republican incumbent Pete Stauber in November.
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About Luke
Luke Gulbranson’s roots run deep in the red dirt of the Iron Range, starting with his great grandfather who was a foreman at the Oliver mine. Born and raised in Eveleth, Minnesota, he is the son of Lyle, an Operating Engineers Local 49 union member, and Cindy, a nurse caregiver. In a community defined by hockey and home to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, Luke began skating at just two years old.
Growing up, life wasn’t easy for Luke and his family. There were times when they relied on food assistance, Medicaid, and support from their community to get by. The sting of an electricity shut-off notice, the long winters when heat was uncertain, and the resilience it took to push through were recurring challenges his family faced.
Hockey became Luke’s lifeline. He learned discipline, grit, and the value of teamwork. But at 19, a head injury forced him to chart a new course. Luke found a new path in media, and he supported himself through acting and modeling. While the experience broadened his horizons and exposed him to a world far beyond northern Minnesota, he always felt the call of Minnesota to come back home.
During the pandemic, Luke returned to Eveleth to build a new chapter of his life. He constructed his home in the woods, and he lives there today, grounded in the same community that raised him. He is a youth hockey coach, small businessman, outdoorsman, and woodworker who spends his days tapping maple trees, running the trails with his border collie Trapper, riding motorcycles and picking his guitar.
He lives a short drive from his parents, where he sees them face the challenges of so many families in northern Minnesota – balancing their household needs on a fixed income and increasing financial strain. Luke’s family has faced serious health challenges, including cancer and physical disability. They’ve seen firsthand how rising healthcare and, especially, prescription drug costs, put an enormous strain on health and well-being.
In Congress, Luke will fight for what matters to Minnesota families because this is personal for him. He won’t let the rigged system that benefits billionaires and corporate special interests end our way of life. For more information, visit www.lukegulbranson.com.