Vice President Mike Pence to campaign for Pete Stauber in Duluth

Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to travel to Duluth next week to support Republican congressional candidate Pete Stauber, closely following President Donald Trump's recent stop in northern Minnesota.

Pence plans to visit Duluth on Aug. 8 to campaign with Stauber, who is running for the open Eighth Congressional District seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Rick Nolan. National attention and funding have poured into the race to replace Nolan, as Republicans try to flip the seat and Democrats fight to hang on to it and take control of the House.

"Vice President Pence is a passionate public servant who loves this country," Stauber said in a statement. "He not only understands our Midwestern values, he lives them every day. I am pleased he and the President are doing all they can to unleash the economic engine in northern Minnesota and I look forward to welcoming the Vice President here next week."

During his trip to Duluth this summer, Trump spoke about tariffs, rallied supporters and urged people to vote for Stauber. While the Trump-Pence ticket narrowly lost Minnesota in 2016, it carried the Eighth District.

Five Democrats are facing a heated primary battle in the district. Stauber, a St. Louis County commissioner, retired police commander and former pro hockey player, is expected to easily win his party's backing in the Aug. 14 primary.

This will be Pence's second visit to Minnesota this year. He spoke to supporters in March at an event in Minneapolis, where he discussed the president's initiatives, including the tax bill Trump signed into law last year.

Jessie Van Berkel • 651-925-5044