Debate recap: Schultz, Stauber face off

The first debate between Minnesota 8th Congressional District candidates happened this evening. The debate between incumbent Congressman Pete Stauber, a Republican from Hermantown and his Democratic challenger, state Rep. Jen Schultz, of Duluth. The candidates spoke on many issues regarding a myriad of topics. The first of many was the topic of abortion. Since the ruling of Roe V Wade many are curious on the candidates’ positions on whether or not that was a setback for America.
Representative Stauber responded with:
“I believe that every life matters. And I am proud to be pro-life. But what I don’t support is Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi and my opponent’s position on abortion, which is taxpayer funded abortion on demand without limits up until the moment of birth.”

Representative Schultz had this to say,
“I believe that is the setback, the ruling of the Supreme Court. I am the only pro-choice candidate in this race. I support our rights to abortion and our rights to contraception. My opponent even voted against our right to contraception. He’s allowed states to ban abortion even without exceptions for rape or incest. He said that he wanted states to make the decision.” Schultz continued to speak on how her opponent Stauber signed onto the National Ban on Abortion, which criminalizes physicians for providing reproductive health care. She made it clear she did not want the US to go back 50 years, and women were not second class citizens. Schultz continued that, “we need to defend our right to privacy and our right to access reproductive health and our right to choose and our right to contraception.”

The candidates also spoke about quality of life in the USA. U.S News and World Report put together a survey ranking the qualities of life in all countries in the world. The key aspects considered included access to quality food, good housing, quality education, access to good health care, good jobs, low crime rates, a healthy environment and strong individual freedom. The candidates offered their thoughts on why the USA was ranked #21 on that list.

“We have a lot of work to do on this issue. America should lead in every category across the board. America’s leadership has been diminished because of Joe Biden. What we need to do right now is come together, allow a free, a prosperous nation with more opportunities, giving our young people hope. We live in the best country in the world,” says Representative Stauber.

Representative Schultz rebutted with this comment,
“I know that the government can be a force for good. I know how the government can work with all of us to do good things. People want investment in their schools. People want investments so they can afford a house. They want people to move to this district to find a job in this district, to raise their children in the district.”

After the wrap up of events tonight, both candidates have sent official statements.
Stauber’s camp left this official statement:
“With our police being denigrated and disparaged by an extreme, anti-police movement, our public safety is being threatened and it’s absolutely absurd that Jen Schultz is clinging to this dangerous agenda,” said Johnny Eloranta, the campaign manager for Pete Stauber for Congress. “Jen Schultz owes every Minnesotan an explanation and an apology for standing with the defund-the-police crowd that threatens safety in communities across the country.”

Schultz had this to say regarding the debate, “I was disappointed in the way my opponent showed up today. He focused on scare tactics, did not answer questions and did not come with solutions. He perpetuated the big lie by refusing to acknowledge the results of the 2020 election, continued to undermine freedoms of women by supporting his extreme anti-abortion with no exceptions position, and ran from his hyper-partisan record of voting in lock-step with extreme Republicans in Washington at the expense of working families, workers, local projects, and moving mining and industry forward.”

After the wrap up of events tonight, both candidates have sent official statements.

Pete’s camp left this official statement
“With our police being denigrated and disparaged by an extreme, anti-police movement, our public safety is being threatened and it’s absolutely absurd that Jen Schultz is clinging to this dangerous agenda,” said Johnny Eloranta, the campaign manager for Pete Stauber for Congress. “Jen Schultz owes every Minnesotan an explanation and an apology for standing with the defund-the-police crowd that threatens safety in communities across the country.”

Jen Schultz had this to say regarding the debate, “I was disappointed in the way my opponent showed up today. He focused on scare tactics, did not answer questions and did not come with solutions. He perpetuated the big lie by refusing to acknowledge the results of the 2020 election, continued to undermine freedoms of women by supporting his extreme anti-abortion with no exceptions position, and ran from his hyper-partisan record of voting in lock-step with extreme Republicans in Washington at the expense of working families, workers, local projects, and moving mining and industry forward.”

The race will continue, this is the first of three debates between Schultz and Stauber. The next is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24 at Madden’s On Gull Lake in Brainerd.

Watch the full debate, here:
https://www.wdio.com/front-page/top-stories/minnesota-8th-congressional-district-debate-stauber-schultz/