House candidate worked with group counseling against same-sex relationships

Driving the news: Caleb Steffenhagen, a middle school teacher and intelligence officer in the Minnesota Army National Guard from Chaska, is running in the House District 48B race against DFL Rep. Lucy Rehm.

• She won the west metro seat in 2022 by a few hundred votes.

Context: Steffenhagen's campaign as a "fiscal conservative," who would "bring back a little balance" and moderation, has largely omitted his involvement with Dangerous Men United, a Minnesota-based men's group focused on living free of "lust" and porn that has also counseled members against same-sex attraction.

• Ads and his website steer clear of social issues like LGBTQ+ rights and abortion.

What he's saying: Steffenhagen told Axios his personal belief is that the Bible makes it "pretty clear" that same-sex attraction is a "sexual sin."

• But he says that belief and his work with DMU, which began in high school and included leading retreats and paid part-time employment, wouldn't influence how he would vote if elected.
• "As an individual, I believe in freedom," Steffenhagen said. "So if that's the lifestyle you want to live, I don't like it when the government steps in and makes rules upon rules."

The big picture: Steffenhagen is the latest example of swing district Republican legislative candidates holding personal views that polling and election results suggest are out of step with the majority of Minnesota voters.

• Sue Ek, the GOP nominee for a competitive St. Cloud district, has said she opposes same-sex marriage. Another in the North Metro, Steve Pape, told a GOP group he would support a constitutional abortion ban "in a heartbeat."
• Minnesotans voted in 2012 to reject a same-sex marriage ban and surveys consistently show a majority are for legal abortion, though many polls also show support for some limits on the procedure. Same-sex marriage has been legal federally since 2015.

Catch up quick: Dangerous Men United (DMU), which did not respond to Axios' request for comment, describes itself as a "coaching ministry dedicated to helping young men and women get free from porn and live in their God-given identity through discipleship."

• Steffenhagen told Axios in a recent interview that his work with the group deepened his faith and "really empowered me to love people in a different way and view people in a different way with mercy and grace."

Zoom in: The group's 129-page guide to "beginning the process of lust-free living," which Axios reviewed, urges readers to "renounce all homosexual thoughts, urges, drives, and acts and renounce all ways that Satan has used these things to pervert my relationships."

• The book puts "homosexuality" in a list of "sexual issues" that includes other unlawful activities and encourages readers "struggling" with their desires to turn to a group that works "with people wanting to leave homosexuality" for "help."
• Steffenhagen, who has posted pictures with the manuscript, confirmed to Axios his work with DMU included leading a discussion group centered around the book.

Reality check: The positions in the book are out of step with science as well as growing global acceptance of non-heterosexual orientations.

• Research has shown both genetic and environmental influences on sexual orientation.
• GLAAD (the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) calls the term LGBTQ "lifestyle" inaccurate because it implies "that being LGBTQ is a voluntary or a 'choice.'"
• The American Psychological Association concluded in a 2009 report "that efforts to change sexual orientation are unlikely to be successful and involve some risk of harm."

Yes, but: Steffenhagen said he does not support conversion therapy or anti-LGBTQ rhetoric: "I would say that one of the worst things that I have seen in Christianity over the last 20 years… is Christians out there bashing gays or bashing LGBTQ+ people," he said.

• He emphasized that members of the study group are there by choice and said the book's teachings had helped many free themselves from their porn addictions and strengthen their faith.

The intrigue: The Minnesota chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans, representing LGBTQ conservatives, endorsed Steffenhagen this week, calling him "committed to moving beyond political divides and focused on effective public service."

• Chapter secretary Tyler Burger told Axios that while the group weighs positions on a wide range of issues in making its endorsements, it "speaks volumes" about Steffenhagen's character that he embraced his coalition and touted its backing, "regardless of his personal beliefs."

What we're watching: David Schultz, a political science professor at Hamline University, told Axios it's not always clear-cut whether a candidate's position on a specific social issue will be a deciding factor for voters, even if they might disagree.

• "Ultimately, I think a lot does come down to the unique issues in that race and who the candidates are," he said.