“Summer House” alum Luke Gulbranson is making a move no one had on their Bravo bingo card.
According to the Duluth News Tribune, the 42-year-old announced his candidacy for Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District on Wednesday, challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Pete Stauber. He is seeking the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nomination.
Gulbranson went public just weeks before the Minnesota DFL convenes in Rochester for its endorsement convention. The timing makes this a genuinely last-minute entry into the race.
Who He Is
Bravo viewers know Gulbranson from his three-season run on “Summer House.” He is also the castmate who brought Ciara Miller to the show in 2020. Since leaving reality TV, he has worked as a real estate agent and owns Luke’s Maple Syrup.
But the campaign video leans heavily on where he is from, not where he has been on television. An Eveleth, Minnesota native, Gulbranson’s great-grandfather worked as a foreman at the Oliver Mine, his father was a member of Operating Engineers Local 49, and his mother worked as a nurse caregiver.
“I know what it’s like to get the power turned off a few times, to need food assistance or go hungry, to need Medicaid, or I couldn’t see a doctor,” he said in the announcement video. “But I had hockey. I had the woods. I had people here on the Iron Range who taught me how to keep going.”
What He’s Running On
Gulbranson cited ICE activity in communities, the war in Iran, and recent cuts to essential programs as motivating factors, according to Duluth News Tribune. His platform focuses on lowering costs, protecting essential programs, and expanding access to affordable healthcare.
He addressed his reality TV past directly. “Yeah, I’ve been on reality TV, but that’s drama for show,” he said. “But what’s happening in D.C. is real drama, with real consequences — and the stakes couldn’t be higher.”
The Race
According to Fox 9, Rep. Pete Stauber has held the 8th District seat since 2019. The district covers northeastern Minnesota including the Mesabi and Vermilion iron ranges, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and the city of Duluth.
Dr. Wendell Smith has also announced his candidacy for the seat.
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