Former Summer House star Luke Gulbranson is attempting to oust Minnesota Representative Pete Stauber, a Republican, and while his donations are significantly lower than those of the Republicans, he has a few familiar names donating to him, according to records reviewed by Newsweek.
Gulbranson, who rose to prominence on the Bravo reality TV series, announced he was running as a Democrat to represent Minnesota’s 8th District in the House of Representatives in April. He’s focused his campaign around economic concerns in his home state, including protecting Medicare and Social Security and standing up for union jobs.
Ousting Stauber will be a tall order for Gulbranson, and with limited polling available, donations may be the best indicator at this point of his ability to win the Democratic primary and, if he does, the general election.
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Luke Gulbranson Congress Run Explained
Gulbranson announced his campaign in April, entering a crowded Democratic primary in Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District. The district covers northeastern Minnesota, including Duluth and the Iron Range, a region historically associated with mining, organized labor and Democratic politics but one that has shifted toward Republicans in recent election cycles.
The campaign has drawn national attention due to Gulbranson’s celebrity background, but he is positioning himself as something very different from a typical television personality turned politician. Instead, he has emphasized his upbringing on Minnesota’s Iron Range, his experience growing up in a family that relied on public assistance, and his work as a hockey coach and small business owner.
Gulbranson has focused heavily on economic concerns affecting the region. He frequently discusses affordability, health care costs, mining jobs, and support for Social Security and Medicare. He has also highlighted his own family’s reliance on welfare, Medicaid and food assistance while growing up in Eveleth, Minnesota.
“I genuinely want to help people because I know that struggle,” Gulbranson previously told Newsweek. “When you don’t have much growing up, you don’t need much as an adult either. You just need the basics, your health, the things that really matter.”
The first-time candidate argues that his outsider status is an advantage. Rather than presenting himself as a political expert, he has described himself as a regular Minnesotan frustrated with Washington politics and eager to represent working-class communities.
Gulbranson previously told Newsweek that people had been telling him for years to get into politics because of how much he cares about people and that he already has a platform. He decided to get involved in the race because of the way the Trump administration is handling issues and “the way people across the Northland are fighting every day just to survive.”
How Long Was Luke Gulbranson on ‘Summer House’?
Before entering politics, Gulbranson became known to television audiences through Bravo’s Summer House.
He joined the reality series during Season 4 and remained a full-time cast member through Season 6, appearing on the show from 2020 through 2022. His time on the series totaled three seasons.
During his run, Gulbranson became involved in some of the show’s most memorable relationship storylines, including romantic tensions involving Hannah Berner and Ciara Miller. After departing Summer House, Gulbranson pursued several business ventures, including maple syrup production, real estate and his Happy Dog Lager beer brand. He also appeared in acting projects and spent time coaching youth hockey in Minnesota.
His campaign has attempted to use his television background as an asset while simultaneously distancing itself from reality TV. In his launch video, he acknowledged his time on television but argued that “the real drama” is occurring in Washington, D.C.
List of Celebrities Donating to Luke Gulbranson’s Minnesota House Campaign
While federal campaign finance records are still evolving as the race develops, several celebrities and Bravo personalities have publicly supported Gulbranson’s congressional bid.
Kyle Cooke, his former co-star of Summer House and CEO of Loverboy, gave Gulbranson $500 on May 6, according to FEC records reviewed by Newsweek. Carl Radke, also a former co-star of Gulbranson’s and co-owner of Soft Bar in New York City, gave Gulbranson $1,500 on June 6.
Lindsay Hubbard, another former castmate of Gulbranson’s, was one of the first to donate to him after he announced and gave him $3,500 on April 15. Hubbard and Gulbranson have remained close since he left the show, and Hubbard has called him her “brother” and expressed how proud she is of him for “so many reasons” on social media. She’s also referred to him as “Uncle Luke” to her daughter, Gemma.
Gulbranson also received a donation from Imrul Hassan. Hassan joined Summer House for Season 9, years after Gulbranson left the show. Hassan donated $250 on April 25, according to FEC records.
Outside of Summer House stars and alumni, one other Bravolebrity donated to his campaign. Vanderpump Rules star Scheana Shay gave Gulbranson $250 on April 20.
Newsweek reached out to the Bravo stars for comment.
Luke Gulbranson’s Odds of Winning Democratic Primary
The Democratic primary presents Gulbranson’s first major challenge, and there haven’t been any polls to signal how he’s faring in the race with just a few weeks to the election.
According to Prediction Edge’s Minnesota 8th District Democratic primary market, Gulbranson remains less likely to win than Trina Swanson, one of the other Democratic candidates.
Swanson, a Minnesota native, is endorsed by the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor (DFL) Party. He spent roughly 25 years in federal service, including leadership roles at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and overseas assignments in countries including Germany and Kenya. Swanson has centered her campaign on affordability, health care access, union jobs and economic stability, and won more than 70 percent of delegate support at the district DFL endorsing convention.
Swanson has raised more than three times the amount Gulbranson has, amassing more than $300,000 in donations. Nearly 50 percent of Swanson’s donations also come from people from Minnesota. Gulbranson has only raised a little over $100,000, and only about 9 percent of his donations come from people in Minnesota.
Gulbranson’s advantages include his name recognition, fundraising potential and ability to attract national media attention. Few first-time congressional candidates can draw coverage from outlets ranging from entertainment publications to national political media simply by announcing a campaign.
His challenges include limited political experience, competition from candidates with more traditional political backgrounds, and entering the race much later than Swanson.
Luke Gulbranson’s Odds of Winning Minnesota House Election
Even if Gulbranson captures the Democratic nomination, the general election could prove substantially more difficult.
Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District has moved toward Republicans during the past decade and is currently considered one of the GOP’s stronger House seats in the Upper Midwest.
According to the Polymarket congressional election market, Republicans currently hold approximately a 74 percent chance of winning the district, compared with roughly 24 percent for Democrats. Major election forecasters also rate the district as either “Safe Republican” or “Solid Republican.”
Stauber has established a strong electoral record, winning previous races by comfortable margins. The district also favored Republicans in recent presidential elections, creating additional headwinds for any Democratic challenger.
Stauber’s war chest also significantly outnumbers Gulbranson’s. He’s raised over $1 million this election cycle.
For Gulbranson to pull off an upset, he would need to first win a competitive primary, significantly expand fundraising, and build a coalition capable of reversing several years of Republican gains in northeastern Minnesota.
That makes his campaign one of the more intriguing long-shot congressional bids of the 2026 cycle. Whether voters see him as a celebrity candidate or a hometown advocate could ultimately determine whether his unlikely political journey continues beyond Election Day.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jenni Fink and Sam Wilson.