Move over, Bravo casting directors, because Luke Gulbranson has found himself a new stage and this one has C-SPAN coverage. The man at the center of more than one Summer House love triangle sat down with Sources Say News to talk about his congressional run in Minnesota's 8th District, and he told us he believes Congress has more drama than what went down in the Hamptons.
This isn't some post-reality-TV ego trip, and he is taking the run seriously. He said he grew up in northern Minnesota on Medicaid, food assistance, and fuel assistance. "Being on reality TV for me was a paycheck," he told us. "It's not who I am. It never will be who I am."
He also brought up the late Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.), who he says pulled him aside as a kid in a school hallway.
"He made me feel like he cared about me, asked me questions about myself, about my family, and then when he spoke to everybody, he spoke with such passion and emotion and charisma,” he said.
He showed up with strong opinions, including some pointed ones about the incumbent. He argued that Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) won the backing of a local miners' union and then voted against the infrastructure bill.
"They're fakes and they're phonies," he said.
When we asked how his reality TV past plays with voters, he argued that they may not be that different these days.
"You could put a camera in Congress right now and it would be a reality show. The difference is it actually affects people's lives,” he told us.
Of course, we had to ask about Ciara and West. You'll have to watch the full interview to find out more.
The district is red-leaning and the "former Bravo personality" hasn’t worked in politics, be he argues that might work to his advantage.
."I'm not a lifelong politician. I'm not a poli sci major. I'm here because I want to help people,” he said.
