One of two announced hopefuls lives in Tower, works for Bois Forte
The next election cycle is already cranking up, despite being almost a year-and-a-half away from Election Day.
TwoDemocratshaveannounced that they will seek to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, although both are unknowns in regional political circles.
Emanuel Anastos of Tower and Cyle Cramer have both filed statements of organization with the Federal Election Commission, the first step toward their entry into the 2026 race for the Eighth District seat in the U.S. House.
So far, they are the only candidates vying for the DFL nod to oppose Stauber, who has already announced his intent to seek a fifth term in Congress.
Anastos, 25, has lived on the Bois Forte Band’s Vermilion Reservation for three years.
He announced his candidacy via Facebook earlier in the month, outlining a series of causes including a $17 minimum wage for large corporations, free public college education, an end of U.S. funding support for Israel, and granting tribal governments greater influence.
“We need to create public funding of elections so politicians are no longer forced to vote in a way that rigs things for the rich people who fund their campaign,” Anastos said.
Anastos also took aim at the current administration in his announcement.
“I would support immediately impeaching the current president (if he has not died of old age by then) and federally charging him as well as anyone of the higher-ups in his regime who have taken part in illegal actions, disobeyed court orders, and violated people’s Constitutional rights since MAGA took office on January 20th, 2025.
Anastos works as an Indian child welfare case manager and previously attended Carleton College in southern Minnesota.
He grew up on Long Island in New York.
Cramer, 32, is an attorney for a Minneapolis firm, representing “clients in employment matters including whistleblower retaliation and discrimination claims.”
He grew up in Faribault and served in the Army National Guard.
In a news release Sunday announcing his candidacy, Cramer said he believes representation is a public service, not an allegiance to one person or party, and vowed to engage with people across the district.
“I am seeking the Democratic- Farmer-Labor endorsement because I agree that when an individual’s rights are threatened all of our rights are threatened and I believe in promoting opportunity,” said Cramer.
Both Cramer and Anastos will seek party support to get their name on the ballot in the general election in November 2026.
Stauber won re-election in 2024 with about 58 percent of the vote, against DFL challenger Jen Schultz of Duluth.
