Thomas Tiffany

Laura Schulte

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Aug. 3, 2026, 5:01 a.m. CT

MADISON - Eight candidates are vying to become the next representative of Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District, with one receiving the endorsement of President Donald Trump.

Five Republicans and three Democrats are hoping to secure the seat that Tiom Tiffany is vacating this fall in his bid to become the state's governor. The candidates will face off in a heated primary next month, and the top Democrat and Republican will appear on the ballot on Nov. 3.

Tiffany carried the deep red district that covers much of the Northwoods by 27 points in 2024.

Here's what you should know about the candidates that will appear on the ballot on Aug. 11.

Michael Alfonso, Republican

Residence: Hayward

Political experience: Alfonso is a newcomer to the world of politics. He is married to Evita Duffy, the daughter of U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who has been heavily involved in campaigning and fundraising for his son-in-law. Duffy represented the district before Tiffany.

Occupation: Alfonso currently works as an accountant for the Diocese of Superior, he said during a July 7 debate. He has also worked as a producer for "The Dan Bongino Show," and according to his campaign website, Alfonso has also worked in the construction and concrete industry.

Policies: So far, much of Alfonso's campaign has focused on staunch support for Trump's policies. Trump endorsed Alfonso in January. He focused on that endorsement and his support of Trump during the July 7 debate hosted by WFJW, a TV station based in Rhinelander. According to his campaign website, if elected, he would focus on affordable housing for young people in his district, strengthening farms and families, ensuring that families decide what's best for their children when it comes to education, and pro-life advocacy.

Jessi Ebben, Republican

Residence: Stanley

Political experience: Ebben has participated in grassroots organizing for Trump, as well as other state and local candidates, according to her campaign website. She also lists "fighting bureaucratic red tape and costly government regulations" on her website.

Occupation: Manufacturing strategist

Policies: Ebben is also running as a supporter of Trump policies. She also lists border security as a major issue on her campaign website, in addition to protecting the second amendment, fighting for Christian values, expanding American manufacturing and unleashing American energy among other stances.

Kevin Hermening, Republican

Residence: Wausau

Political experience: Hermening previously served as the chair of the Marathon County Republican Party and a member of the Mosinee School Board, with several years spent as the board president. Hermening was also a member of the United States Marines and was one of 52 hostages held in Iran during the hostage crisis from 1979 to 1981, and was released and returned to the U.S. in 1981.

Occupation: Founder and owner of the Hermening Financial Group, a financial planning business.

Policies: Hermening also touts plans to work alongside President Trump's policies, according to his campaign website. During a July 7 debate, Hermening highlighted ensuring the creation of a balanced budget, ensuring that the country sticks to its Constitutional foundations and ensuring that the military does not send more troops overseas in the Iran conflict among other issues.

Niina Baum, Republican

Residence: Rhinelander

Political experience: Baum has served on the Town of Crescent Planning Commission, the Board of Directors for the Rhinelander Rotary Club, is an organizer for community events and races, and volunteers to support rural revitalization in the Northwoods, according to her campaign page.

Occupation: Baum has worked as a professor and a communications specialist and founded Valo Media, a digital marketing agency in the Northwoods, according to her campaign website. She also developed and launched an app to support public speakers, called SpeakNotes, and co-founded the Northwoods Young Professionals. She is also a musher, and the owner of Sled Dog Central, an online platform for mushers.

Policies: Baum said in an interview she is running to be a representative for all those who live in the Northwoods, regardless of political affiliation. Among the issues she has highlighted are supporting an AI data center moratorium and regulation of data centers, ensuring affordable housing in the 7th District, supporting small farms, and ensuring that small businesses are supported. She embarked on a 400-mile bike ride across the district to meet voters.

Don Raihala, Republican

Residence: Superior

Political experience: This is Raihala's fourth time running for the 7th District seat, according to his campaign website. He also ran for mayor of Duluth in 2019, according to the Duluth News Tribune.

Occupation: Raihala works in the construction industry, and can often be seen on construction sites on his campaign's Facebook page. He has also worked as a real estate broker, property manager and a purchasing agent, according to his campaign website.

Policies: Raihala on his campaign website says that he would vote for policies that protect legal citizens, bring down gas prices and protect the interests of citizens, work to protect the 2nd Amendment and vote to speed along the prosecution of those in the Epstein files. Raihala has not responded to several attempts to reach him by the Journal Sentinel, and was not invited to participate in the Republican debate on July 7.

Fred Clark, Democrat

Residence: Bayfield

Political experience: Clark served as a member of the Wisconsin Assembly from 2013-205, and was appointed to the Natural Resources Board in 2019, but shortly after, he stepped down to avoid a conflict of interest, because he also served as the executive director for the environmental advocacy group Wisconsin's Green Fire.

Occupation: Clark worked in forestry and as a land manager, according to his campaign website, and also served as the executive director of Wisconsin's Green Fire until stepping down in 2025.

Policies: Clark says on his campaign website that he would plan to focus on Wisconsin priorities, such as affordability, healthcare, supporting women's rights to reproductive choices, rebuilding the rural economy, and supporting farms and forests.

Chris Armstrong, Democrat

Residence: New Richmond

Political experience: Worked as a community organizer and founded the New Richmond chapter of Indivisible, an advocacy organization focused stopping the rise of authoritarianism, according to the organization's website.

Occupation: For 30 years, Armstrong has been the owner of a small business in the IT industry, and has offices in Hudson and New Richmond, according to his campaign website. He also spent time in high school repairing ferrite-core memory modules at NASA, according to a survey shared by Ballotpedia.

Policies: Armstrong, if elected, would participate in an effort to impeach Trump if elected, according to his campaign website, and he would work to get rid of the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency, to tax the wealthy and large corporations, expand healthcare access, support working families, enact better agriculture policy, and protect the 7th District's natural environment.

Ginger Murray, Democrat

Residence: New Lisbon

Political experience: Murray was appointed as the Crandon city attorney in 2001 and was later elected, and as a circuit court commissioner in Forest County and Oneida County. She also served as the town attorney for Laona.

Occupation: Murray is a board chairperson and the lead family law attorney at Your Family Law Center, which focuses on family law, divorce, child custody and child support cases. She has 25 years of experience in family law, according to the firm's website.

Policies: Murray on her campaign website said the issues she's running on are supporting Northwoods education, economic stability, access to healthcare, and supporting more environmental safeguards.

Laura Schulte can be reached at [email protected] and on X @SchulteLaura.

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