Pete Stauber: 2018 Election Guide

Welcome to WCCO.com's 2018 political guide!

We reached out to all Minnesota candidates running for U.S Senate, Governor, U.S Congress, Attorney General, Secretary of State and State Auditor this fall. Candidates were asked to provide a two-minute video discussing their platform as well as answer a set of our viewer's questions.

Below are the answers Pete Stauber provide. The candidate did not provide WCCO with a video. This is not a paid advertisement nor does WCCO endorse any candidate.

Responses from Pete Stauber, GOP candidate for the 8th District:

Should voting rights be restored to convicted felons?

I believe it is up to states to make that decision.

Do you support legalization of the recreational use of marijuana?

I have seen firsthand the devastating affects of the opioid crisis during my 22 years as a police officer with the city of Duluth. I have had to deliver death notifications to unsuspecting parents and it has shaped my opinion on legalization of drugs. My job as a police officer was to protect my citizens and get all drugs off our streets and out of the hands of our youngest and brightest, which includes marijuana.

Do you believe that there should be a cap on how much money a candidate can spend on campaigning? If so, how much?

I face the same problems as many candidates and current congressmen and women do in competitive seats: we are forced to fundraise most of our time. If I could cut down on the time needed to raise money and spend with my family, I would be a happy father and husband.

Should people convicted of non-violent drug offenses be released from prison and their records expunged?

It is well known that our federal prison system is costly to taxpayers, loaded with first time offenders and non-violent drug offenders. As a former law enforcement officer, I enforced the law and brought people to justice. That being said, it depends on what the changes in proposed legislation would be, and I could be amenable to common sense reform.

Do you support changing the law to release non-violent drug offenders currently serving federal prison terms?

It is well known that our federal prison system is costly to taxpayers, loaded with first time offenders and non-violent drug offenders. As a former law enforcement officer, I enforced the law and brought people to justice. That being said, it depends on what the changes in proposed legislation would be, and I could be amenable to common sense reform.

Should Congress appropriate $25 billion to build a security wall along the U.S.-Mexico border?

I believe we need to secure our Southern border. Currently, our Southern border is extremely porous and is allowing illicit drugs, human trafficking and illegal immigrants into our country. I believe we need to do everything in our power to protect our citizens and that starts with securing all our borders. Without borders, we are not a nation.

Should children brought to the United States with their parents illegally be given a path to U.S. citizenship, or should they be deported to their native countries?

These children were brought to the United States illegally through no fault of their own. These children are now adults and have benefitted our society for years: they have paid taxes, attended our universities and some have worn our military uniform. If these children have followed the rules, we need to create a path to U.S. citizenship.

Do you think North Korea will "denuclearize," as President Trump says it will?

I believe the President is taking the right steps toward denuclearizing the Korean peninsula by starting discussions with the President Kim Jong-un. However, with any agreement we need to be careful with who we trust.

Do you believe in climate change, and should the U.S. rejoin the Paris climate accords?

The Paris Agreement was a seriously flawed plan that puts the United States at a competitive disadvantage with other countries, like China, that will not abide by the agreements, and also will further destroy good-paying traditional energy sector jobs in our region. I believe Donald Trump made the correct decision to put the best interests of the American people first by withdrawing from this flawed agreement.

There's no question the Earth's temperature is warming – after all, during the last Ice Age which ended 10,000 years ago, 32 percent of Earth's land area was covered with glaciers, and that number is just 10 percent today. Rather than implementing a strict regulatory regime that drives up the cost of energy and destroys good-paying jobs – as some have proposed – I believe there are a number of commonsense changes we should pursue instead that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save taxpayers money and result in job-creating efficiencies. I support pursuing an all-of-the-above energy policy including sources like wind, solar, geothermal, nuclear and hydro.

Canada is retaliating for the U.S. tariffs by imposing tariffs of its own on Minnesota products. Among the Minnesota products: grain, aluminum, boats and boat accessories, packaged dairy products, ATVs, and much more. China imposed retaliatory tariffs on Minnesota soybeans and pork products. Do you believe it will hurt Minnesota producers?

I believe the tariffs placed by the president was a healthy way to start the discussion of eradicating our over $500 billion trade deficit. We know that the American worker can compete against any country in the world on a level and fair playing field and we need to work to get us there.