The third public forum for the Democratic candidates competing in Wisconsin's Seventh Congressional District took place tonight at The Pines Event Center in Rhinelander.
Fred Clark, Ginger Murray, and Chris Armstrong addressed voters as they introduced themselves ahead of the August primary election, while emphasizing their experiences.
Fred Clark, who served three terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 2009 to 2015, expressed his commitment to representing Northern Wisconsin effectively.
"People, I talk to throughout this district, they don’t agree on everything politically, but there is one thing they agree on, they want to be represented by someone who understands Northern Wisconsin," Clark said.
Ginger Murray, a Northwoods native and former city attorney for Crandon and town attorney for Laona, shared how she plans to incorporate her legal experience in Washington, D.C.
"Leadership, in a different way, is needed. Someone who knows and understands the law," Murray said. "I think even as a freshman, I can come in there and not be a freshman who is sitting in the back row. I’ll be at the front row saying, ‘I am ready to lead, I am ready to stand with you, let’s get the work done.'"
Chris Armstrong, a small business owner who is new to political campaigning, explained his motivation for entering the race, and why to run now?
"What I hope I am bringing to the table is the expertise in my field, about how do we bring a diverse set of stakeholders together," Armstrong said. "To first agree on what is the problem, because that is often where the issue starts, is that there is not enough consensus on the problem, and we end up coming up with solutions that do not mitigate it appropriately."
The three candidates are seeking to replace current U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is running for Wisconsin governor. Tiffany recently discussed economic concerns during Vice President J.D. Vance's visit to Plover.
"People are beginning to see the impact in their tax returns with no taxes on tips, overtime, social security. But they are uncertain because they want to know ‘how long is this going to last,’" Tiffany said.
The congressional seat has been held by Republicans since its redistricting in 2011, with Tiffany securing it by nearly 30 points in 2024. Democrats aim to flip the seat in November against five Republican candidates also in the race.
The Republican candidates include Michael Alfonso, Jessi Ebben, Kevin Hermening, Niina Baum and Paul Wassgren.
