DEMOCRAT

Erik Paulsen

Minnesota Senate 2026 · 2026

Policy Positions

46%

Avg Confidence

Issue Areas

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Policy Positions

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Economy

2 positions

Would you support imposing tariffs of 25% or more on imports from countries that do not meet US labor and environmental standards?

Neutral

Party InferenceErik Paulsen is historically known as a moderate Republican congressman from Minnesota's 3rd district, not a Democrat, and there is insufficient evidence of his position on labor/environmental tariffs under a Democratic Senate candidacy to assign a clear stance. Fact-check this →

Would you support raising the federal minimum wage to $17 per hour?

Oppose

Voting RecordErik Paulsen served as a Republican congressman from Minnesota's 3rd district (2009–2019) with a conservative voting record opposing minimum wage increases; the 'Democrat' party label in this prompt appears to be an error, and his actual record as a Republican suggests opposition to significant minimum wage hikes, though no direct statement on a $17 figure is available. Fact-check this →

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Environment

2 positions

Would you support legislation requiring the US to reduce carbon emissions by 50% below 2005 levels by 2035?

Oppose

Party InferenceErik Paulsen served as a Republican congressman from Minnesota (2009–2019) with a conservative environmental record, frequently opposing climate legislation and receiving low ratings from environmental groups; though now listed as a Democrat, his historical record suggests opposition to aggressive emissions mandates, and insufficient evidence exists to confirm a position change on this specific target. Fact-check this →

Would you support ending new federal permits for oil and gas drilling on public lands and offshore waters?

Neutral

Party InferenceErik Paulsen is listed here as a Democrat seeking U.S. Senate in MN, but the historical Erik Paulsen served as a Republican House member from MN; assuming this is a different or reframed candidate with limited specific record on federal drilling permits, position is inferred cautiously from Democratic party baseline with very low confidence due to insufficient direct evidence. Fact-check this →

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Foreign Policy

2 positions

Would you support increasing the federal defense budget by more than 5% per year above the rate of inflation?

Neutral

Party InferenceErik Paulsen is listed as a Democrat seeking U.S. Senate in MN, but his public record is primarily as a Republican former U.S. House member (MN-3, 2009-2019) with a moderate voting record on defense; insufficient evidence exists for his current position on this specific defense spending threshold, and the party label listed contradicts his known affiliation, creating significant uncertainty. Fact-check this →

Would you support maintaining or increasing current levels of US foreign assistance to allied and developing nations?

Neutral

Party InferenceErik Paulsen is historically known as a Republican congressman from Minnesota's 3rd district, not a Democrat running for U.S. Senate, making reliable position data on foreign assistance for this specific candidacy framing unavailable; position assigned as neutral with low confidence due to insufficient direct evidence. Fact-check this →

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Gun Policy

2 positions

Would you support requiring background checks for all firearm purchases in the US, including private sales and gun show transactions?

Oppose

Voting RecordErik Paulsen served as a Republican congressman from Minnesota (2009–2019) with an A rating from the NRA and a record of opposing expanded background checks; the candidate data lists him as a Democrat, which contradicts his established record, so his historical voting record is used as the primary evidence with reduced confidence due to the party discrepancy. Fact-check this →

Do you support a federal policy prohibiting the manufacture and sale of semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines to civilians?

Oppose

Voting RecordErik Paulsen served as a Republican congressman from Minnesota's 3rd district with an A rating from the NRA and consistent opposition to gun restrictions; although listed here as a Democrat, his documented record strongly suggests opposition to semi-automatic rifle bans, and insufficient evidence exists of any position change. Fact-check this →

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Healthcare

2 positions

Would you support expanding Medicare to cover all Americans regardless of age?

Oppose

Voting RecordErik Paulsen served as a Republican U.S. House member from Minnesota (2009–2019) with a conservative record that included opposition to the ACA and Medicare expansion; despite the Democratic label listed here, his established legislative record strongly suggests opposition to Medicare for All, and no evidence of a policy reversal was found. Fact-check this →

Would you support federal legislation requiring Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices directly with pharmaceutical manufacturers?

Neutral

Party InferenceErik Paulsen is listed as a Democrat seeking U.S. Senate in MN, but the historical Erik Paulsen represented MN as a Republican House member; insufficient evidence exists for this specific candidate profile to assign a clear position on Medicare drug price negotiation beyond party-based inference. Fact-check this →

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Immigration

2 positions

Would you support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who have lived and worked continuously in the US for more than 5 years?

Neutral

Party InferenceErik Paulsen is a former Republican U.S. Representative from Minnesota (MN-03) with a moderate-to-conservative immigration record, but the candidate is listed here as a Democrat seeking U.S. Senate, creating significant ambiguity; no clear public record exists for this specific scenario, so position is uncertain. Fact-check this →

Would you support significantly increasing federal funding for border security infrastructure and personnel at the US southern border?

Neutral

Party InferenceErik Paulsen is listed here as a Democrat seeking U.S. Senate in MN, but there is insufficient specific evidence about his position on border security funding; notably, a Republican named Erik Paulsen served MN's 3rd Congressional District, creating potential confusion, so a neutral score with low confidence is appropriate. Fact-check this →

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Taxes

2 positions

Would you support raising the top federal income tax rate to 50% for individual income exceeding $10 million per year?

Oppose

Voting RecordErik Paulsen served as a Republican congressman from Minnesota (2009–2019) and voted for the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, indicating opposition to higher top marginal rates; his current Senate run listed as Democrat introduces uncertainty, but his established record strongly leans against sharp tax increases on high earners. Fact-check this →

Would you support raising the federal corporate income tax rate from 21% to 28%?

Oppose

Party InferenceErik Paulsen served as a Republican congressman from Minnesota (2009–2019) and voted for the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which lowered the corporate rate to 21%; there is insufficient evidence he has changed his position after switching to the Democratic Party, so his historical record of opposing corporate tax increases is weighted heavily with low confidence due to uncertain current stance. Fact-check this →

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Voting Rights

1 position

Would you support federal legislation requiring all states to automatically register eligible citizens to vote when they interact with government agencies?

Neutral

Party InferenceErik Paulsen is historically known as a Republican congressman from Minnesota's 3rd district, and his listing here as a Democrat running for U.S. Senate lacks corroborating evidence; given the conflicting party information and no direct record on automatic voter registration, position is inferred cautiously as neutral with low confidence. Fact-check this →