Pressure. Do not drive or use
machinery until vision has recovered
after an eye injection or exam.
With iServey, I'm taking action
to slow my GA, and seeing him
out there means everything to
me.
Ask your retina specialist how you
could help preserve your vision
longer with iServe.
Good evening and welcome to wjfw's
2026 seventh congressional
republican primary debate today
we're going to learn more about
where four of the candidates stand
on the issues to help you
make an informed decision this
august whoever wins the primary
will face the winner of the
democratic primary in the november
election let's meet the candidates
from left to right we of Nina Baum,
Kevin Hermaning, Michael Alfonso,
and Jesse Eben.
We will hear opening statements in
just a moment, but let's get
acquainted to the rules.
Candidates will have 90 seconds to
answer each question.
When a rebuttal is necessary, the
candidate will be given 30 seconds.
No one has been given the questions
in advance.
Let's start with opening statements.
Mr. Alfonso, your first.
The Democratic Socialists of America
just celebrated a milestone,
120,000 members.
The same day that we
celebrated 250 years
of independence.
Their candidates have also seen
massive success all across the
country, including right here in
Wisconsin with the leading candidate
for governor, Francesca Hong.
Let's call this what it is.
This isn't socialism, this is
communism.
And I know a little something about
communism.
My grandparents came to this country
from Cuba.
I grew up hearing exactly what
happens when these ideas are
implemented.
Equitable suffering for everyone.
Can we blame them though?
Four years of a disastrous Biden
economy, we
can't.
We need to recommit ourselves to
the Trump agenda here.
Energy independence, cutting
spending to shrink inflation,
banning asset management companies
from buying single-family homes.
We need to stop the spread of
Marxism, and that's why President
Trump chose to endorse me.
Thank you, Mr. Alfonso.
Mr. Hermaning, your opening
statement.
Thank you to WJFW
and to the viewers of the 7th
Congressional District.
My name is Kevin Hermaning and I'm
running for Congress because we are
at a crossroads in a very serious
moment in our nation's history.
We need a representative in Congress
who will be
an experienced leader,
tested and ready on day one.
When I was a young Marine,
I was taken hostage by Iranian
terrorists and held prisoner
for 444 days.
I watched as
one of my roommates, Bill Keel,
told me that when we get out of
there, He wanted me to make
sure that I returned to Wisconsin.
To make sure that I built a life of
relevance.
And I've done all of those things.
In the next 90 minutes, I
will share with you why I believe
that I am the best suited person to
represent you in Congress.
Now to Ms.
Baum, your opening statement.
I'm a proud Rhinelander resident
and the only candidate who has
spent nearly their entire life in
this district.
I grew up on a dairy farm here, I
went to college here, I started a
business here, I co-founded
Northwood's Young Professionals to
help keep young workers up
in the area.
I have brought half a million
dollars in economic impact to
Oneida County through the different
events that I have planned.
I serve on the Rotary Board and
I serve my town's Planning
Commission.
I have also pledged to not take any
corporate PAC money because I wanna
make sure that our representatives
and the people we vote for are
representing us, not special
interests.
Not any corporations,
no mega donors.
So you will know exactly where
my loyalties lie and it is to
the people in this district and
nobody else.
And Mrs. Evan, your opening
statement.
I'm Jessie Eben.
I am a Christian conservative, a
Trump Republican, and a proud 7th
generation Wisconsinite who is
committed to getting the government
off our back and out of our way of
life. I live in Stanley in Chippewa
County with my husband and our son
and we're just a few miles down the
road from the original Eben family
farm that's been there for nearly
100 years now.
I've worked the majority of my
career in the private sector.
I worked in rural health care,
setting up clinics in small towns.
I now work for a manufacturer.
My job is to battle over burdensome
regulation, and I've had success in
doing so, saving thousands of
domestic manufacturing jobs right
here in our state.
And it's this experience that I will
be prepared to go to Congress to
defend our values and our way of
life, of standing up for life,
I'm pro-life, making sure our rights
are not infringed upon, including
our Second Amendment, that we make
sure that our farmland is not
covered by solar panels or
windmills, that de-list the gray
wolf, that make sure we secure our
southern border, deport violent
criminal illegal aliens, and stand
with law enforcement.
And it is an honor in this race to
be backed by law enforcement and
sheriffs from throughout the
district.
Our first question will go to Ms.
Baum first.
Wisconsin's seventh congressional
district is the state's largest.
We have medium and small cities plus
plenty of towns and rural areas.
To the candidates, what is at least
one concrete action that you would
take in Congress to improve the
lives of people in the seventh?
Ms. Bom, you will go first.
I would support a moratorium on
AI data centers coming into our
state of Wisconsin.
There's no regulation around them
and they impact us in so many
different ways. They impact our
natural resources, our water,
our utility bills, and
recently our phone prices are
going to be impacted coming up here
as well because of the demand for
memory chips from AI data center.
So now phone companies have to pay
more to get those chips,
to get the demand for those chips
over these data centers.
So they're not just gonna affect our
utility prices and
our resources, they're gonna affect
other everyday prices across
this district and for all the
people. So I will definitely be
working on a moratorium until
we can properly regulate
and assess the impact
of AI data centers in
this district and in this country.
And most recently, actually.
Um, I had someone who reached out
to me who is a neighbor of mine
growing up and they live in Phillips
now And they were just approached
about their land
being bought for an ai
data center that is happening in
this district already
Thank you.
Mrs. Eben, one action you would take
in Congress to help your
constituents.
Well, this is where I have the
strength of being the only candidate
who has worked in manufacturing and
has worked specifically on
deregulation, which is getting the
government out.
All of this costly red tape, that
it's an invisible cost for so many
businesses.
And it is the reason that so
many small businesses and large have
left this district.
From Price County losing Caterpillar
to Osceola, losing Polaris
to Russ County, losing the
manufacturer out of Hawkins.
And we've seen what happens when our
small towns lose manufacturers.
And what happens is, it's not just
job numbers we're losing.
These are people.
These are livelihoods.
These are families that now have a
decision to make, is if they stay
locally and seek underemployment,
or if they move elsewhere to find
work and keep a roof above the head
of their family.
And oftentimes, they have to choose
to leave.
We need to make sure that the
government is not the barrier for
businesses staying here.
And when we have strong
manufacturing in this district, We
have strong livelihoods.
Our small businesses on our main
streets succeed, our schools do
better, and when we lose them, all
these things go away.
Our small businesses suffer,
the local grocery store goes away,
the schools suffer, we lose kids, we
loose families, and drugs come into
town, and unfortunately we've seen
this time and again.
So good policy matters.
Strong manufacturing and working
specifically on deregulation,
repealing the costly red tape, which
is aligned with President Trump's
agenda. That's exactly what I'll do
for the people here in the 7th
congressional district.
Mr. Alfonso, same question, one
action you would take.
We need to make sure that rural
funding, earmarked for our rural
communities, actually gets there.
Did you know that
Dane County in Madison qualifies
for rural grants under
the federal law?
We need work to give it back to
the states.
Federal bureaucrats do not know what
rural is.
New Jersey rural is something
different than Wisconsin rural.
And overall our founding fathers
never envisioned such
a grotesque monster of a federal
government.
So one of my number one priorities
in office will be shrinking the
size and scope of the federal
government, the states know better
how to spend the money than DC
bureaucrats.
And finally, Mr. Hermaning, one
action you would take in Congress.
Well, I think I know something about
financial insanity,
because every day as my role as
a financial planner, I
help my customers,
families, small business owners,
farmers and loggers, try to
figure out how they can afford an
uncertain and more expensive future
every day.
The cost of government, the
cost of regulation,
the cost hiring,
employees, all of the...
Compliance rules that go along with
most business operations
make it very difficult to get ahead,
both as an employee and as an
employer.
Just today, I met with a customer
who was very concerned about how
they might transfer their family
farm to their children, to their
son, their oldest son, and to one
of his siblings.
And they're not sure that they're
gonna be able to do that because of
the costs involved in that.
So my goal is to focus
on financial sanity
dealing with tax and
regulation and making it easier
for people in central and northern
Wisconsin to live and
to stay and raise their families.
We're gonna move on to some
individualized questions now.
We start with Mr. Alfonso.
Some people have questioned if you
have the experience needed to excel
in Congress, so I'm just gonna lay
it all out here.
You're 26, you would likely be the
first member of Congress born this
century.
You're the son-in-law of former
Congressman Sean Duffy and currently
live in his house.
Do you have experience to excel,
in Congress?
You know, experience has always been
a question on this campaign.
And let me ask you, did Nick Shirley
have experience?
Did he find $12 billion
worth of fraud?
He was only a young man in his 20s.
Young people are capable of so
much in a culture where we
seek to make young people
infantilized i look
to making young people stand
up and actually take the spots that
they need to the older generation
has already won the battle with
communism they fought very hard
but i will I'll tell you what.
My generation is falling for those
very same lies, and I look
forward to in office working
every single day to stop
the spread of violent Marxism,
which is what got my friend Charlie
Kirk murdered.
I want to follow up on that.
You posted in March, Mr. Alfonso,
that you're an accountant for your
parish in Hayward.
I searched the state's database of
your accounts and accountants, but I
don't see your name listed.
Are you still an accountant for that
church?
Yes, I am.
I am still an accountant.
A simple slip of saying I used to be
an accountant because I also worked
as an accountant at Wisconsin
Aviation when I was a senior
in college at UW-Madison.
Yes, I still have a job.
No, I am not.
Unemployed.
We're gonna move on to Jesse Eben
now, Mrs. Eben.
You ran in the third congressional
district just six years ago.
Why did you move to this district?
I'm a proud seventh generation
Wisconsinite.
I've lived in the Chippewa Valley
for over 10 years and I live
where my family's been for nearly
100 years now.
I worked in the rural communities of
this district in Chippow Rusk and
Barron counties setting up clinics
in small towns to make sure they had
the health care resources they
needed to succeed.
And this is Evan. I want to follow
up on another seemingly big change.
You signed a petition to recall then
Republican Governor Scott Walker
regarding Act 10 in 2011.
Can you explain your thinking back
then?
Yeah, I've actually spoken with
Scott Walker about this.
This was 15 years ago.
I was 21 years old in
college, and I
was told by my parents, who were
lied to by the teachers' unions,
that they were worried about losing
their jobs.
And that didn't happen.
So, not only in college did this
happen, but I became a Christian.
I became conservative, and I've
knocked thousands of doors for
candidates in the conservative
movement for Republicans up and down
the ballot over the years, helping
them get elected.
And like Presidents Trump and
President Reagan, I chose to become
a Republican.
Thank you, Mrs. Evan.
Now to Mr. Hermoning, I want you to
address an allegation made by the
Wapaka County Republican Chair.
He says you received millions of
dollars because you were an Iranian
hostage. This stems from a 2015
budget bill.
You spoke in support of it back
then. Can you explain your support?
Yes, actually I can.
A good friend of mine, a roommate,
who I had in a prison cell for
six months in captivity by
the name of Bill Keough and a host
of my other colleagues,
military folks as well as State
Department officials, they've
really had a tough time of it.
Bill Keele, as a matter of fact, my
roommate.
A six foot nine inch tall giant
of a man weighing 350 pounds lost
200 pounds of his body weight
in captivity.
His family struggled mightily when
he returned to try to heal him
back to health.
He died less than two years later
and his family never got to really
hear about his experience and
how he became my hero in captivity,
many others from the 9-11 victims,
the tragedy at the Beirut
barracks bombing.
They all suffered mightily.
We didn't get the $3.3 million
because actually instead of only 52
families, there were
in fact 22,000
recipients of that fund that
was not a taxpayer-funded
organization.
It was a sanctions fund against
companies that had broken the law
in doing business with the country
of Iran.
I thank Sean Duffy,
our former member of Congress, for
championing that legislation.
And I really appreciate the fact
that I've been able to accept a
small portion of that money and
donate it to multiple charities,
veterans groups, my church and other
many very worth
organizations.
Yeah that was going to be my
follow-up Mr. Hermaning how much
money did you receive and where did
you put that money?
Right about $700,000,
I personally received, all of the
American hostages received about$
700,000.
Those men and women who were married
at the time, their family members
got some, but the same amount
of money ended up with the 9-11
folks as well.
I don't know what any of my
colleagues did with it.
I believe many of them, however, did
use it for healthcare and for other
very badly needed issues.
I'm very fortunate to own a business
and I was not in
need of the funds, but thank
goodness for Sean Duffy's efforts in
that area.
Now to Ms.
Baum, some voters doubt your
credentials as a Republican.
Did you post in support of an ICE
out protest and why?
And is 2016 the last time you voted
Donald Trump for president?
Yeah, 2016 was the last time I
voted for Donald Trump for
president. I did not vote for him
this last time I
don't think we all fit into neat
little political boxes And
you know the job of a representative
is to represent the people
and what they need and what if
something that The
people in this district want to need
doesn't align perfectly with party
lines. They're supposed to blindly
follow that I don't think so
I did not make a post in
support of the ice out protest and
I definitely have a
strong stance on immigration but
I also want to make sure that our
process for immigration is
working and that we have enough
judges to oversee our immigration
cases. There's a 3.3 million
case backlog and it takes multiple
years for cases to be processed.
I just asked for accountability and
to make that everyone is held to the
same standard. I was advocating
and um,
supporting campaigns, uh,
starting at 17 for the Republican
Party in Price County.
My grandfather was a very
prevalent Republican in Madison
and spearheaded right-to-work
law and legislation for the state of
Wisconsin.
So follow up here, Ms.
Baum. If Republicans keep the House,
it might be a slim majority.
Would Republican voters be able to
count on you to continue working on
the President's priorities?
The job of a representative is
to represent the people, not the
president's priorities, no matter
who the president is.
If those priorities align, I will
absolutely support them.
But if they don't, I'm going to
stand up for them, just like with
these AI data centers.
Thank you, Ms. Baum.
Our next question will go to Mr.
Alfonso first.
While inflation has cooled slightly,
many families still struggle with
the cost of groceries, housing,
and everyday necessities.
What is the single most important
thing Congress can do to lower
the cost of living for Americans,
Mr.Alfonso?
I know you said single, but I'm
gonna go double.
First and foremost, we need to cut
the government budget.
Every year, the government spends
more and more money.
And we're paying for the most
ridiculous things, like transgender
surgeries for goats in Afghanistan.
Or who knows what else USAID
was funding.
President Trump has taken a good
step to start shrinking that, but
Congress needs to follow suit.
We need people in Congress who are
gonna fight with President Trump to
shrink the budget.
But the second part of reducing
inflation has to do with pro-growth
government policies.
We need to encourage businesses to
succeed. We need get the government
out of the way, And that starts with
simplifying the permitting process.
I used to work in construction.
It cost $50,000.
Before you can even break ground
on a home.
If we want to address the
inflationary problems in the United
States, we need to cut the budget
and we need encourage businesses.
To prosper.
To Mrs. Eben now, how would you
help with affordability in America?
The biggest ways that we can help
with affordability is looking at the
input cost, and that's energy.
Energy powers everything, so we need
good, reliable, affordable
energy.
Unfortunately, President Biden came
in a few years ago and shut down a
natural gas pipeline, taking away
that good, affordable, reliable
energy, and instead loves to
fund what the Democrats love to do
with solar panels and windmills
on our farmland.
And this is bad energy to begin
with. It's not reliable.
When their sun is not shining
and the wind is not blowing,
no energy is being put on the grid.
And it's driving prices up because
the supply is low.
Another thing we can do when looking
at housing is deregulate, and I'll
say this a lot tonight, but we have
to get the government out of the
way, all this costly red tape.
The National Association of Home
Builders just came out with a report
that the average cost on the average
new home build is $132,000
of regulations.
$133,000 dollars of regulations that
had wasted money that could be going
into buying that home, that could
could be cutting prices for American
families to once again be able to
afford a home.
We have to get the government out of
the way. And again, I'm the only
candidate with experience of
actually taking on regulation,
the over-burdensome red tape that
stifles growth for our American
families, for the input cost for
regulation, and for energy
costs as well.
I'm only one with that experience,
and will continue to do that for the
people here in the seventh
congressional.
Now to Mr. Hermaning, affordability
in America.
I think I know a little bit about
this.
I'm a 40-year financial advisor.
I advise clients on everything from
their investments to their real
estate decisions, how to pay
for health care, whether they're
retired before they're eligible for
Medicare, or whether they are on
Social Security and Medicare.
And everybody on Social security
does understand that every year
they get a little of an increase,
but most of it is taken away by
the increase in Medicare premiums,
so it really does not help to
keep pace with inflation and the
cost of living.
I do believe that we need to balance
a budget. We haven't had one in 25
years. I will vote only for
balanced budgets or to lower the
deficit and ultimately the debt.
We do need to create jobs.
The government doesn't do that.
The government plays no role in
creating jobs other than getting out
of the way of the innovation and
opportunities that Americans who
want a better future for themselves
and their families are willing to
pursue.
Yes, we do need energy independence.
We need to be monitoring utility
costs, but really inflation.
Is the government spending way too
much money.
That's the biggest thing that can
help to reduce the cost of living on
people in the Seventh District.
Finally, Ms. Bump.
Same question.
I mean, there's a lot of things that
affect affordability, and there
isn't just one sweeping solution
that we can implement at the federal
level to address the affordability
crisis. It's a combination of
multiple things, whether that be the
impact of these AI data centers or
healthcare costs.
Housing is another big one.
All of these things play a factor,
so we need to look at
addressing this from
an... Thank you.
Overarching perspective in
figuring out what can we all do to
help address the affordability
crisis and some of that starts
with Who we elect into the
office and the kind of people we
elect in to office right
now When 60 to 80
percent of people in the us
agree on and want a
policy change They only
get it 40 percent of
the time This has to do with
special interest influence on our
politicians and on our
representatives There is
no accountability to make sure
that policy and legislation actually
is benefiting us and what
we need They're
doing what they have to do to get
reelected and fund money in their
campaigns And so if we don't
change the type of people we elect
into office We're not going to
see changes in the
affordability crisis
Our next question will go to Mr.
Hermaning first.
Wisconsin is competing for major
data center projects that promise
jobs and investment, but they also
raise concerns about electricity
demand, water use, and impacts on
nearby communities.
If elected, what role should the
federal government play in
regulating large data centers?
Mr. Hermaning.
Well, I think the federal
government's role for sure can
be to make sure that China is
not the country, our enemy,
which handles all of the
future for data centers and
artificial intelligence in general.
I am a state's rights and a local
government rights advocate.
That's what most traditional
Republicans believe in.
I, having served 16 years on
my school board, I know a little bit
about how we need to make sure that
the state and the federal government
stay as far away as we can have
them. But I certainly know
that local communities, whether it's
in Beaver Dam, for example, where
they are looking
at one direction for
pursuing data centers.
Compared to other communities
especially in the Northwoods in the
7th District are very much
considering the threat against their
natural resources, our natural
resources the farmland where
can the government really stay
hands off but I really would
say to you bottom line I
don't believe that the utility costs
should be passed on to the consumers
who live here, regardless of where
they are located.
Mr. Alfonso, to you next,
how should the government regulate
large data centers, if at all?
The rise of AI is a very
scary thing, especially to my
generation.
We stand to lose so many
jobs, we don't even know how many.
But the United States has
always led the way when it comes
to technological advancements.
I was just talking to someone today
whose plan is to put these data
centers in space.
We need to give these decisions
to the local municipalities.
Thanks. States and counties
know far better what is better for
their neighbors than the federal
government.
The federal government is only
interested in taking your money
and sending it elsewhere.
Ms. Pom, you mentioned this earlier,
but same question to you.
Absolutely.
I would definitely support a
moratorium at the federal level.
I would support regulation at
the Federal level.
I do believe in states rights and
that states should ultimately have
a say in control and how these
data centers are implemented in
their states, but the
US is already leading in AI
and AI data centers.
We have more than any other country
in the world by a long shot.
I think we need to look at how it
affects our people and
it negatively affects them a lot.
It takes away jobs, it takes
away resources.
Wisconsin already is
a state where we consume six times
more energy than we produce and
now we're expanding and
adding a bunch of AI data centers,
which once all the approved projects
are proposed,
Clean Wisconsin shows that the
amount of energy they will use will
be the equivalent of
the amount of energy that's already
currently used in the state, so
imagine doubling that.
That's not sustainable.
That's going to work moving forward.
We need to be able to study them
and reduce their
impacts and make them a heck of a
lot more efficient before this
can continue at the pace that it
currently is.
And finally, Mrs. Evans.
So data centers should not
be on our farmland and farmland
is a big discussion that comes up
when I'm on the campaign trail
talking with voters and hearing
directly from them.
And their biggest concern is solar
panels and windmills on our farming
land and that is right here and now
it's at the forefront of many
counties including Marathon, St.
Croix, Lincoln and others.
The part of the problem here as well
is with the solar panels in the
windmils on farmland is that
they are being subsidized by federal
taxpayer dollars.
This is something that none of us
agree to with our taxpayer dollars,
yet the Green New Deal scam is
powering the utilities, giving them
our resources to go in and
topple our farmland with, again,
windmills and solar panels, bad
energy to begin with.
Then... These subsidies or these
utilities are also getting tax
cuts at the federal level if
they install by a certain timeline
in the near future.
So there is an aggressive demand for
our farmland here in northern
central and western Wisconsin.
We must stand strong to make sure
that it doesn't overtake.
There is a federal component to this
and as your member of congress I
will sign on to pieces of
legislation to make that those
federal tax cuts, that those tax
subsidies are not included
and are removed so that they are no
longer powering the utilities to
take over our farmland.
Let's do a big step back
now on a very general question.
We'll go to Mrs. Eben right back at
you. What separates you from the
other candidates on the stage right
now? Why are you the best choice,
Mrs.Eben?
The biggest indicator is I have both
the energy and the experience to
do the job.
I've mentioned my experience.
I'm the only candidate that has
worked in manufacturing, working
there now, battling over burdensome
regulation.
I've worked directly on the policy,
the regulation, and the taxation
that impacts our manufacturers.
And manufacturing is the top
industry alongside agriculture of
the 7th Congressional District.
With strong jobs and a
revitalization of manufacturing here
in our rural communities.
We can sustain and rebuild our way
of life, bringing families back,
getting good jobs back, rebuilding
and strengthening our schools and
our downtowns.
And I've mentioned it before, but
policy matters.
Cutting that costly red tape
for not just manufacturers, but for
farmers, for small businesses
only grows.
I've also worked in rural health
care and I've seen firsthand the
need that we have here in our
district for mental health care,
for emergency rooms, for labor and
delivery.
We have an extreme shortage that has
caused bad outcomes for so many.
I've talked with sheriff's
departments about this, with local
providers as well.
The need is great, along with our
volunteer firefighters and our local
EMS.
They're struggling to be, not only
have the volunteers, but to get to
the hospitals in time for that
emergency care.
We have great needs in this
district. And I've worked in the
industries that matter
significantly, along with listening,
understanding policy.
And that makes me the best candidate
to be able to do the job on day one
with the values and the preferences
of the people here.
Now to Ms. Baum, why are you the
best choice?
I grew up in Price County,
born and raised on a dairy farm.
I saw all the farms, small farms in
my community disappear as I was
growing up.
When the roads that I lived right
next to had probably about seven
active farms on it when
I was a child and within
about a six mile span.
And now there's only one.
This consolidation is
something I witnessed growing up my
elementary school shut down,
my middle school shut down and
consolidated.
I then went to college up in the
district in Ashland.
And I did move away for
a very brief moment to build up my
resume and came back because I
truly loved the Northwoods.
And I wanted to build a life and
a career here. And I've been
incredibly passionate about my
community.
I have been incredibly involved
serving on my rotary board,
rotary club board, being on my
town planning commission.
And a lot of other boards
initiatives over the years.
I have pledged to not take any
corporate PAC money
and I have the lowest funding
in this campaign out of everybody.
I've only spent about $20,000
on this campaign so far and
we have accomplished a lot.
I was still the first candidate to
get all my nomination signatures
submitted and collected and gain
ballot access.
I am here because I really
want to represent the people.
In our communities and
make sure that
they're able to continue to thrive.
Mr. Hermaning, what separates you
from the rest of the candidates?
So I saw firsthand what it means
when American freedom is threatened,
and why we need a resolve,
and we need strength,
and we an appreciation of freedom,
and none of those things are just
campaign slogans to me.
I have 40 years of lived experience
as a financial advisor,
as a school board member, as
a Republican Party leader for
40 years, helping conservatives
get elected.
I mentioned earlier that I was a
Trump elector.
It is and was and remains
about draining the swamp.
I'm not running to pursue a
title in Washington.
I am running to serve.
I will work harder than anybody
else on this stage.
We're all working hard.
We're at the same events.
We're on parades and dairy
breakfasts.
We've all put thousands of miles on
our vehicles.
But I can assure you that when it
comes to standing next to his or
her peers in Washington D.C.
As a congressman or woman next year
in January when we are sworn in.
I am the best prepared to
be ready on day one, because
for me, it is not about
being somebody.
It is about doing something.
Mr. Alfonso, same question.
I'm the only candidate on this stage
that our great president, the
greatest president of my lifetime,
President Donald J.
Trump, trusts to get his
agenda into law.
We hear a lot about politicians
saying they're pro-Trump only
in the year of an election.
What the Trump endorsement means is
that I will support the president.
I will fight for his agenda.
I will work with him to bring back
business to northern Wisconsin.
And President Trump cares deeply.
About northern Wisconsin.
He knows it is the very place
that delivered him the election
in 2024.
We hear a lot about experience all
around the campaign trail.
Experience is a great thing, but
it is not the sole
indicator of success.
Nick Shirley, zero experience.
Let's name some people with
experience.
John Corrin, Mitch McConnell,
Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi.
Under their leadership.
Our country has sunk further
and further.
I am going to bring my energy and
passion every single day.
Now when it comes to the Trump
endorsement, there have been a lot
of questions about how I've gotten
it. I sat down with him for
an interview in the Oval Office and
I promised him that no one
will ever outwork me and
that no-one will fight harder for
the people of the Seventh District
than I will.
It's time for us to take a short
break. We'll be back in about eight
minutes. During our break, our chief
meteorologist, Jeff Weller, will
have a forecast for you, and we
will return with questions very
shortly.
Chase Ropenack has your weekend
forecast covered.
Weather Watch 12.
President Trump knows a fighter when
he sees one.
Kevin Herman is battle-tested and
ready to serve again.
Kevin Herman has always stood tall
for America, and he's never
stopped putting Wisconsin first.
In Congress, Kevin will work with
President Trump to keep our border
secure, cut taxes for families,
safeguard our elections, and protect
our farmers, loggers, and ginseng
growers who power America.
Conservative Kevin Herman for
Congress, the fighter Wisconsin
trusts to get results.
I'm Kevin Herman again and I approve
this message.
News Watch 12 is the Northward's
most trusted news.
Our news team focuses on local
stories that matter to your
community.
Get your local forecast and weather
alerts that impact your daily lives.
Catch up on the latest sports, local
highlights, and game action.
News Watch12.
News from where you live.
My accident.
My accident happened in a second.
My settlement?
That's taking a really long time.
If you've been injured in an
accident and need money now while
your case settles, call Oasis today.
There's no risk.
If you lose your case, you don't
have to pay Oasis back, ever.
Applying for Oasis Express Cash is
easy and takes three minutes.
We'll work with your attorney and if
you're approved, get you $500,000
to $100,000 in as little
as 24 hours.
Use it for bills, rent,
whatever you need help with.
So call now or go online to apply.
Remember, there's no risks to you.
Better days.
Better days
Better days start today.
Oasis Financial, because
life moves faster than your gaze.
Call now.
Once approved, get your money in as
little as 24 hours.
1-800-745-99.
Accurate, local and always
on. We're there when you need us.
Start your mornings with
meteorologist Devin Biggs on News
Watch 12 today.
Weeknight's chief meteorologist Jeff
Weller is tracking every change.
And weekends count on meteorologist
Chase Ropenack to keep you ahead of
the weather. Weather Watch 12,
from where you live.
All right, you're watching our live
District 7 debate, but first a quick
break for weather Look at the high
temperatures today pretty much
hanging out near 80 across the area
today But some clouds and moisture
are on the way and tomorrow will not
be as warm as today was okay
out there today Lots of clear
skies for us, but to the west of
us here We are with some clouds
increasing across parts of Minnesota
now and there's a pretty good system
over here That's gonna bring us some
showers and storms throughout the
day tomorrow into tomorrow night
likely ending early parts
of Thursday morning followed by
sunshine for later Thursday, Friday,
Saturday, and Sunday.
A great weekend on deck for us first
though. We'll get the clouds
increase across the region tonight
and likely some rain showers by
around daybreak tomorrow morning.
Likely not severe but these
could drop some heavy rainfall
basically north of highway 29.
That gets out of here throughout the
morning hours and then round two
comes through late in the day
tomorrow again heavy rain
potentially for tomorrow as well
into tomorrow evening so somebody
could easily see some
uh an inch or so of rain from this
uh likely again two rounds once more
morning the second round tomorrow
afternoon and evening it gets out of
here though on Thursday morning look
what happens then yeah bright
sunshine returns for us on Thursday
afternoon and this is a great
looking forecast Friday Saturday and
Sunday with high temperatures in
the 80s with plenty of sunshine.
Accurate local and always
on. Devin Biggs on News
Watch 12 today, weeknights with
Jeff Weller, and on weekends, Chase
Propenack, Weather Watch 12.
We are local, telling
your stories.
The local woman is retiring after 63
years of work at the same place.
Day after day, when it matters
most, we are news
you trust.
A local research station held a
presentation on native plants in the
Northwoods. We are news from where
you live.
I run hot when I sleep and I think
these are not going to be
breathable.
Yeah, I'm hot in these.
Introducing Miracle Maid.
Temperature regulating bedsheets
crafted from silver infused fabrics
that keep you cool while you sleep.
Oh...
This is different.
Oh, yeah.
I think I might actually fall asleep
here.
They're not making a bunch of.
The noise when I move around.
These are just amazing.
No notes.
I can already feel that these are
much more breathable.
This set will definitely enhance
my quality of sleep.
Learn more at miraclebrand.co.
Are you gonna win?
Yes! Yes! Yeah!
BAM!
BAM, BAM.
HOP HOP JUMP!
I'm at a loss for words.
AGT, tonight on NBC and Peacock.
Far as far as...
That was impressive!
Quality.
Password tonight on NBC and Peacock.
To make a difference. Wake up with
us. Join Michael Loeb holes and
meteorologist Devin Biggs every
morning with the story shaping your
community. Get your daily dose of
news from live reports across
the region to the headlines you
need before you head out the door.
Start your day bright with the team
you trust and get your first look
at today with traffic updates,
accurate weather and breaking news
that keeps you ahead.
It's everything you need to know
before you walk out the door.
News Watch 12 today.
News.
From where you live.
President Trump knows a fighter when
he sees one.
Kevin Herman is battle tested and
ready to serve again.
Kevin Herman has always stood tall
for America, and he's never
stopped putting Wisconsin first.
In Congress, Kevin will work with
President Trump to keep our borders
secure, cut taxes for families,
safeguard our elections, and protect
our farmers, loggers, and ginseng
growers who power America.
Conservative Kevin Hermaning for
Congress.
The fighter Wisconsin trusts to
get results.
I'm Kevin Herman and I approve this
message.
We're watching the WJFW
7th Congressional Republican primary
debate.
We will start with Miss Baum for
this next question.
Following U.S.
Military strikes on Iran and a
fragile ceasefire, many Americans
are asking whether the U.
S. Should become more involved in
the region or less.
As a member of Congress, what should
America's policy toward Iran be over
the next four years?
Miss Baum.
Well seeing as
Upholding the wars war powers
resolution passed to the house
and the Senate this month I
think that is a clear indication
that we should be less involved with
Iran over the coming years
Quick answer,
Mr. Alfonso, what should America's
policy be toward Iran going forward?
We cannot allow Iran
to get a nuclear weapon.
President Trump, everything he does
is through the prism of America
first.
An adversarial nation like
Iran, having a nuclear weapons is
detrimental, not just to Americans
now, but to Americans in
the future, like my daughter,
Rose. I stand with
President Trump's actions in Iran,
and I look forward to in 2026,
if this isn't done already, because
President Trump is the master
negotiator.
I look forward to working with
President Trump to bring peace to
the Middle East.
Mr. Hermaning, same question to you.
I believe the president did exactly
the right thing in working
back in February to deny the
Iranians in their pursuit of
nuclear weapons.
I do not support the idea of
boots on the ground, which has been
advocated by many people mostly
to bring about regime change.
That is a decision that the Iranian
people need to make on their own.
They need to be responsible for
that. It is not our job to be the
policemen of the world.
But in any
negotiation...
It requires two honest brokers,
and it is very evident to me
in watching what's been going on
between the United States and Iran
for 47
years that the Iranians have
never sent an honest broker to
any negotiation.
So I believe that we have to be very
steadfast in what we are
standing for. We need to oppose
nuclear weapons by the Iranian
regime We need to encourage
the Iranian people to take arms
up against their leadership,
and we need to bring our men and
women home, assuring our
people that we do not put boots
on the ground to bring about regime
change.
Mrs. Emin.
In policy toward Iran going forward.
We need to get out of Iran and
back-focus on the American people
and the domestic issues here and
champion peace through strength.
Twenty-six of my thirty years we
were at a forever war.
I don't want that to happen, sorry,
twenty out of my 36 years we are
at a forever war and I don t want
that happen again.
I don't t want my son in the future
to have to go off and fight another
war. I don't want any mother or
father to have worry about sending
their son or daughter overseas
to champion someone else's war.
We need to get back to America
first, back to the domestic issues
at hand, champion peace through
strength, get this finished up in
Iran, and President Trump will get
it done.
We will go to Mr. Hermaning first
for the next question.
Just a few miles east of Rhinelander
is a small town of Stella.
Unfortunately, it's known for having
one of the highest known recordings
of the concentration of PFAS,
a forever chemical linked to a lot
of health problems.
Congress has debated everything from
stricter regulations to increased
cleanup funding to holding
manufacturers financially
responsible.
If elected, what role should the
federal government play in
addressing PFAS contamination?
Mr. Hermaning.
Well, I live in Wausau in the
central part of the state, and just
a couple of years ago, the city
council and the mayor dealt with
this issue and were able to
get funds from the federal and state
governments to deal with the concern
about PFAS in the water.
Drinking water should be one of the
basic foundations of what
citizens should expect from
their government. I
would advocate for clean
water,
lower costs to bring about.
The lesser contamination,
when the government helps to make
policies that bring about
contamination, whether it is
approving of certain types of
chemicals that end
up in our groundwater, the
government has a responsibility for
then making it right.
Too often the government puts it
back on the local communities, the
federal government does, and that is
not the way we should be approaching
this or any issue where the
government, federal government, is
culpable for the problems that the
consumers or the end up bearing.
Mrs. Evin, what role should
the federal government play in
addressing PFAS?
Well, Forever Chemicals are an
emerging science and a new issue
as of the last few years.
And there's still a lot to learn.
We need to make sure that we have
clean water for our families, for
our communities.
And this has been an issue that's
been engaged on at the local, state,
and federal level.
I'm always concerned when the
federal level wants to step in and
over-regulate something.
And so this has addressed quite
timely so in our state, at the
state, at the level, at county
level even.
And so I think that's where the
focus needs to be to make the
communities have the resources they
need that if they are addressed
locally with the people who are
impacted.
Mr. Alfonso, now to you, the federal
government.
And PFAS.
This is one of the most exciting
aspects of the Trump agenda,
the MAHA movement.
I'm so proud to announce I've been
endorsed by MAHA action
and I will tell you for too
long Republicans have ceded
the idea of conservation to
the left.
But here's the thing, as
conservatives we can chew gum
and walk at the same time.
We can encourage businesses to
be responsible and we can
Also.
Have businesses not be hampered
by over-regulation.
The president of the United States
understands this.
He is a builder, but he also
understands just how important
natural resources are to the seventh
district.
Lakes are the center of so
much, so many of our communities
here up north and I look forward to
working with President Trump not
only to encourage businesses,
but to also protect our natural
resources.
Let's stay with Mr. Alfonso here.
Mr. Alfonzo, should the federal
government regulate PFAS
contamination?
Well, here's the thing.
The federal government is always,
always stepping in and
going over the top when it comes to
regulations.
But when I lean onto federal
governments, I look at the Biden
administration.
During COVID, we had so
many lies told to us by the very
people that are supposed to be
regulating.
Now, I would like to see that
brought down to the state level.
One of the centers of my campaign...
Is going to, and my, if God
willing, I get into office,
is making sure that the federal
government is shrunk.
DC bureaucrats do not know
what is best for Wisconsin.
Only Wisconsinites know what it
is best, for Wisconsin
Finally, Ms.
Baum, same question.
Should the federal government be
involved in regulating PFAS?
Well, I will definitely
say that the federal government was
involved in some of the PFAS issues
that we have
Farmers were encouraged to
spread sludge on their fields
that ended up having extremely
high levels of PFOS in it.
There is a case where a farmer had
to eliminate his whole entire dairy
herd because of the
high levels of PFAS in the
milk coming from the cows.
Once PFAS is in
the ground and in the environment
and in our resources, it
is nearly impossible to
eliminate.
One of the things that it binds to
really well is actually hemp.
Now that just gets it to bind to
hemp doesn't mean you can still get
rid of it but you can get it out of
areas and that's one way
to look at a solution but
once it's in our water
we're having a hard time getting it
out. So I think it is the
responsibility of the federal
government to ensure that we do have
clean and good access
to drinking water.
It is one of our rights
that we should have.
We will start with Mrs. Evan for
this next question.
We just celebrated 250
years of this country, a tremendous
feat.
I want to learn your vision for the
future of the United States.
So to the candidates, what's next
for this country?
Mrs.Evan?
Well, when I think about 250
years and the Declaration of
Independence that has life,
liberty, and pursuit of happiness as
the major declaratory statement,
I think about life being first and
we need to prioritize life,
fighting for life.
I'm 100% pro-life.
If we have a vision for this
country, we need to be thinking
about our future and that future is
our children.
I had the great honor and blessing
of having a son and
having grown him in my own womb
and held him and.
The value of life which has been
a subject of matter that
the Democrats have tried to take
away from us saying that children
are a burden they are not they are a
blessing and there's a lot to be
done at the federal level to still
champion life such as getting rid of
the abortion pill that is crossing
state lines that is poisoning women
always they lose their child and as
the women suffer as well one in ten
women that have taken the abortion
bill end up in the
the children are killed.
As we know, it's done grave danger.
So if we cannot champion life,
if we can not do that, then what are
the other policies that matter?
We have to stand up for our
children, we have to defend the
unborn, and I'm absolutely committed
to doing that.
Mr. Alfonso, your vision
for the future of the country.
Very simply, we need to
recommit ourselves to President
Trump's America First agenda.
Now, President Trump is working
every single day to make sure
costs are coming down in the
United States, but Congress, as
always, is slow to act and
fighting him tooth and nail.
I am the only person on this stage
that President Trump trusts to
get his agenda enacted into office.
And on day one,
we will re-put through, yet
again, the Save America
Act. We can only have
United States citizens voting in
American elections.
If we want to address any other
issues in the country, we have to
address that one first.
Thank you.
Ms. Baum, now to you, your
vision.
My vision really stems from
the founding of the Republican
Party.
When the party was founded,
there was a need for their vision
and their core principles.
They wanted to ensure the government
worked for the everyday average
working class American, not.
Special interests who are wealthy
special interests who are trying to
influence the politicians to
ensure that they could continue
their way of life and continue
to take advantage.
And at the time, those wealthy
special interest were
plantation and slave
owners.
And that was going to threaten the
livelihood of the people living up
here, how they could expand and
start a business and.
Create jobs for themselves and
build their lives.
So for me it's really about getting
the special interest influences
out of our politics to ensure that
government is working for us fairly
and properly.
I want to work on getting
Citizens United overturned
to ensure our representatives
represent us.
And finally, Mr. Herman, same
question, vision for the future.
I love this question.
For 40 years, I've been talking to
high school students, church
audiences, civic organizations
like the Lions and Rotary Clubs,
and many political audiences about
what it means to be an American,
liberty and leadership.
The reality is that I
cut my teeth in politics when
Ronald Reagan was president of the
United States.
Ronald Reagan first coined
the term in 1980
when running for president.
Let's make America great again.
Donald Trump, of course, is make
America great again, I am
a Trump Republican
and American first conservative
and I
believe that Ronald
Reagan's call to
the United States to
our people to remain the
shining city on the hill
that really became the beacon
for the entire world
And why so many
people yearn to come to
America.
We have seen during
this World Cup so
many people from across the planet
mesmerized by what America is,
by her people, by the opportunities,
by the many great
things in the cities that they've
been playing.
And I hope that over the
course of the next 250 years
that our constitutional foundations
can be what lays the foundation,
lays the groundwork for
the next 250 years.
This next question will go to Mr.
Alfonso first.
The gray wolf has moved on and
off the federal endangered species
list over the years, creating
uncertainty over who should
manage the population and whether
Wisconsin can hold a wolf hunt.
As a member of Congress, what role
should the federal government play
in wolf management and what policy
would you support going forward,
Mr.Alfonso?
Man you're making me start to sound
like a broken record up here.
It turns out almost every single one
of our problems is actually caused
by the federal government.
The federal government should not be
regulating the gray wolf.
Do you know why?
They don't deal with it in
Washington DC.
In Hayward, Wisconsin, where I live,
we do deal with it.
Farmers across the district are
having their livestock eaten by gray
wolves. We absolutely
need to bring this to the state
level. Again.
Only Wisconsinites know what
is best for Wisconsinites.
Bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.
Have no idea what rural America
is.
Miss Baum, what role should the
federal government play in wolf
management?
I think the current role it
plays is adequate and right now
there is a big push for
delisting the gray wolf and I
fully support that.
The numbers are adequate and
show that there is
definitely a need to delist them.
The populations have bounced back
and a hunt on
a responsible hunt on them would
not threatened the species in
this area.
Now to Mr. Hermaning, same question.
Well, I also support the delisting
of the gray wolf, but
I also agree that it is a state
issue.
But right now, because it's being
dealt with at the federal level, we
need to have the federal government
implement that type of a policy.
And I think that our
former congressman has had
it exactly right, and that
is to delist the gray Wolf.
And finally to Mrs. Evans, same
question.
Congress needs to delist the gray
wolf. That bill has to pass.
Congressman Tom Tiffany, our current
representative of the 7th
Congressional District, has been
working tirelessly on this in his
National Resource Committee.
Got it passed through the House and
now it's sitting with the US Senate.
When I talk with people on the trail
throughout our very rural
communities here, they are extremely
concerned about the gray
Wolf and its predatory
enactment on livestock,
on calves, on guard dogs, on
guard animals, on bear dogs.
And Langley County alone in this
last fall, there was one
weekend where six bear
dogs were killed in one weekend
in one area.
When I talk directly with bear
hunters and other hunters throughout
this district, this is their number
one issue. It's also a huge issue
for farmers and everyday people.
The wolves are not scared of
anything. When I talked with my
neighbors who are out checking their
trail camps, they are followed by
two different wolves at a time.
I have to carry, when I talk with
those who do concealed carry
classes, they are now training more
people who recreationally hike
throughout our area, but they want
to feel safe.
The wolf has become, the gray wolf
has became way too predatory and
we need to deal with it and that
starts with delisting it from
the endangered species list that
takes an act of Congress and I'm
absolutely committed to getting that
done.
The next question will go to Miss
Baum first.
The national debt now exceeds $40
trillion.
I want you to be specific here.
What specific federal programs would
you reduce or taxes you would
change to put the country on a more
sustainable fiscal path?
Do you think Medicaid, Medicare or
social security benefits should be
changed?
Miss bomb
Let me start on Social Security
benefits I don't think there should
be any cuts to social security
benefits That is such a
critical component to people who
live up here in the 7th district
Automatic 23%
cuts to benefits would be
very detrimental to the economy
up here is a lot of people
Rely on those social security
benefit The
bigger issue when it comes
to our spending and our debt,
it's prioritizing where
we put our money and how we spend
our money. There's plenty of it.
There's more than enough to make
sure that various programs
and initiatives are
met and that we can receive
them. It's a prioritization
issue at the end of the day.
And how do we fix that
prioritization issues?
We fix that by electing different
types of people to Congress.
Again, if we continue to elect
people who
sole and first focus
is not representing the people and
who are influenced by outside
special interests, there is no
accountability for them to actually
make sure that policy and
bills and legislation going forward.
Impact and help keep our
money going to the things that are
actually a priority and what we
actually need and want.
So we need to change the type of
people that we elect to congress
to ensure that the budget is
actually a already.
So, Ms. Baum, let's be specific
here. Should we raise taxes?
Should we cut something else?
We don't need to raise taxes, it's
a prioritization issue.
There's no accountability.
There's plenty of money in the
government.
And the Pentagon hasn't passed an
audit ever.
They can't account for
trillions of dollars and
assets.
If you're a business and you don't
pass an audit, there's
consequences.
So where's the accountability within
our own government and how our money
is spent?
Moving on to Mr. Hermaning, Mr.
Hermaning what specifically can be
done to balance the budget in
Washington, D.C.?
I think one thing we need to do is
to stop putting all of these pieces
of legislation into a
big Christmas tree type bill where
the people in Congress don't even
know what they're voting on before
they actually are asked to cast a
vote. They can't come back to their
district.
They cannot tell us what's in the
legislation that they voted for that
is a problem We need to start
separating out these pieces of
legislation as an example Why
is the agriculture?
Commodities and subsidy programs
lumped in with the
uh With snap and nutrition programs
Each of those types of things,
whether it's on the farm bill,
whether it is on the defense bill,
whether it is an immigration
law and the bills that are passed to
fund legal immigration,
border security, the various types
of ways that we can protect
Americans from illegal immigrants,
it's all lumped into a single piece
of legislation.
And once we start separating those
out, the American
people are going to better trust
that the elected officials know what
they're doing in Washington, D.C.
Congress has stolen the money from
Social Security.
We need to start shoring it up.
It does not require cutting benefits
for retirees or near
retirees or anybody.
We do not have a revenue
problem. We have a spending problem.
And the sooner that Congress starts
taking seriously their
responsibility to manage the
purse strings, which is the priority
job of a member of the House to
pass a budget, the better off the
American people will be.
So, Mr. Hermaning, you mentioned
Social Security is off the table for
you, but we have to mention
something. What can be cut to
get us to a better fiscal situation?
Well, I think that, for one thing,
we all know about the fraud that's
happening, whether it is the daycare
centers in Minneapolis and St.
Paul, or the Medicaid fraud
in southeast Wisconsin,
or some of the other fraud areas
that have already been identified in
Ohio and in California.
That's a start.
It certainly doesn't finish the job.
But the best way to solve an
economic crisis is to get the
federal government out of the way so
that people like the folks who I
work with every day who are small
business owners and farmers,
they have the opportunity to move
forward their jobs, their companies,
hire people.
That's all people want is for the
federal government to get out of the
way to give us the opportunity
to make the best of our
lives from an economic and a
social perspective.
And maybe, just
maybe, if the government doesn't
tax and spend the
future of our people as they
retire and as they
want to pass a small part of
what's left onto their heirs,
The people might trust the
government. To actually get their
job done.
Mr. Alfonso, now same question,
what should be done to balance the
budget in D.C.?
Our vital programs, like
Social Security, cannot be
taken away from the older
generation.
They were promised by the United
States that they would receive these
benefits.
My parents receive Social
Security.
The idea that we could take that
away from them is un-American.
Here in America, we pay
our debts, and we will.
I will tell you how we'll find the
money in the budget as well.
When we cut look at
just the doge cuts Elon
Musk estimated it was around a
trillion dollars a year.
Do you know how much of that was
actually cut from the budget?
Almost none, because the
president can't do that.
The president has to shift the
funding. He cannot cut it.
We will work every single
day to make sure that the
fraud, waste, and abuse in our
system is taken, gotten rid
of. Because if we wanna protect
these programs that we
rely so much on,
we need to make that illegals
are not receiving these benefits.
That only people that paid into the
system are receiving these benefit.
And as a young man, I can't
think of a single issue that matters
more to the young people of America
who are paying into a program that
many of them believe they will never
see a diamond.
We need to address these issues
and it starts by getting rid
of the fraud waste and abuse
in our government Mrs.
Evans same question
Well, as an act of Congress, we can
pass the balanced budget amendment.
And add something to it that if the
budget is not passed in a
balanced way, that Congress doesn't
get paid.
Take the reward from Congress, and
you'll start seeing some action get
done. So we need to balance the
budget. We need to prioritize
spending. We can do a lot more with
less. It's what everyone has to do
at their kitchen table every night,
sitting down as a family, and figure
out how to work with their household
budget.
We need people who understand that
to go to Congress and make those
common sense decisions.
Now I work in manufacturing, and one
of the things that we have to do
constantly.
Is look at how do we create a better
product, higher quality, but lower
cost, but yet create
a streamlined process.
And we need more people with that
manufacturing mindset to
go into Congress, to understand,
to take out the efficiencies, to
find the waste, and in this case, to
find a waste, fraud, and abuse.
But you know who else has that
manufacturing mind-set who has a
background in manufacturing and is
strict on government spending and
doesn't back down is U.S.
Senator Ron Johnson. We need more
people with that type of
understanding of manufacturing,
of common sense solutions, and
knowing when to stand tall and say
no to more spending.
And that's exactly what I will do as
well, take the manufacturing mindset
to say no to additional spending.
It's about time we crack down on the
budget.
Question for Mr. Hermaning first.
Artificial intelligence is expected
to transform industries ranging
from manufacturing to healthcare.
Should Congress regulate AI more
aggressively? Mr. Hermaning.
Well, thank goodness for artificial
intelligence, because it's the next
frontier.
But it cannot run unfettered.
We've had, of course, the industrial
revolution, the information
revolution, and now it's artificial
intelligence.
The federal government's role is to
make sure that we are not left
behind on the world stage.
It is the federal government's job,
I believe, to not put
in place unnecessary, unneeded
regulations so that those
people who want to start companies,
those people want to grow companies,
those people wanna take chances
at future success,
have the opportunity to do so.
Too often the government gets in the
way, too often the Government thinks
it knows best.
And it seems from the chair that
I sit in every single day,
working with my customers who
are worried about the future and
affordability, that one way to
keep costs down is by
looking at options for
artificial intelligence, but
not at the expense of the
important jobs of doing
the heavy labor jobs that
are necessary in a future America.
I served on my school board for 16
years and we had an emphasis
on the trades.
Because an artificial intelligence
effort is not ever
going to change our
oil. It's not ever gonna work
in the, it helps in the tool and die
industries, but it's not gonna
totally replace it, thankfully.
It makes the job simpler in many
cases, but it cannot replace
the needs that the American people
have.
Now to Mrs. Evan, should Congress
regulate AI more aggressively?
I think with any new emerging
technology, we need to be cautious
about it. We need to understand it,
get comfortable with it, but not
rely on it.
It's a tool in the tool belt,
but it's not something to be, again,
fully relied upon.
What I am concerned with AI is
images and protecting our children,
making sure their children aren't
included in any images and that
they don't have any of that coming
onto their own devices.
We also need to look at
AI through an education perspective.
I mean, there's been enough
technology in the schools.
We need to make sure that students
can read, write, and do arithmetic.
Our outcomes have only gone down in
the state of Wisconsin, including up
here in Northern Wisconsin as well.
So we need to be sure that AI is not
a reliant tool in our
education system, that kids are
still learning not only the trades,
but also the reading, writing, and
math that will set them on the right
path. Again, this is something to
learn, to be comfortable with, but
not rely on.
Studies have already been done.
Where they're seeing that our brains
are losing their knowledge
when we rely on AI because we're not
doing our own research or reading.
We're not doing our own figuring out
and solving of our own problems.
So I would just say be cautious,
understand it, but don't rely
heavily on it.
Mr. Alfonso, same question.
I might be the only politician who
is honest enough to say,
I don't know.
I grew up with AI.
I went to college during the AI
boom.
We don't where this technology
is going to take us, but we
need to watch it very closely.
We cannot have hundreds of
thousands of Americans displaced
from their jobs.
Jobs give you the
integrity of life.
The government's only role is to
protect life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness.
When it comes to AI, it
is a very new technology.
Even the people building it don't
quite know where it is going to go.
But I will tell you that we will
not allow Americans to
lose their jobs by the
thousands from AI.
Ms. Baum, same question.
Congress already regulates a lot of
other industries, why is AI the
exception? It shouldn't be.
It should be regulated just like we
do a lot of other aspects in
different industries across the
nation.
And unfortunately, it's been getting
extra benefits in a way, and
the state of Wisconsin approved
in the budget to give
AI data centers its sales tax
exemption.
Now I know this is a state level
thing, but I'm using this as an
example because it.
Why are they getting that benefit
when they're small businesses
who actually provide
consistent jobs and more
jobs than an AI data center will at
the end of the day after its
completion.
They should not be getting breaks.
They should be getting
it to be easier for them to
implement. They should go through
all the same hoops
and hurdles as every other industry
does. They should not have an
exception and that is Congress's
job to ensure that it
is evenly dispersed
among industries.
General question now, let's take a
step back. It's going to Mr. Alfonso
first.
What do you believe is the single
most important quality a
member of Congress should have, and
how have you demonstrated it?
Simply put...
Character and conviction I
believe every single person
on this stage has actually shown
character and conviction but
I would tell you being a
Christian it is my goal
always every single day to
honor God through every single thing
that I do I think in this
country one of the easiest
ways to see the decline is
the way we no longer discuss God
long ago we had the ruling
that said we're going to separate
the church and the state.
But that was to keep the state out
of the churches, not the churches
out of this state.
We are a Christian nation, and I
look forward to getting back to
those founding principles.
Thank you, Mr. Alfonso.
Same question to Ms.
Baum now. What is the most important
value a candidate for Congress
should have and how have you
demonstrated it?
I think the most important value is
integrity.
You need integrity to make the
right choices and decisions
and to be able to advocate for the
people in the district properly.
Again the role of a representative
in congress is to
represent people and hold
the executive branch accountable.
I have pledged to not take
any corporate PAC money so
that people in this district know
exactly who I represent.
You know that my Decisions
and advocacy will not be swayed
by any outside special interests
my priority will always be
my constituents.
Mrs. Evans, same question to you.
It's about showing
up for the people and showing them
who you are, how you're going to
represent their values in our way of
life. And I've done that time and
again. I've been on the campaign
trail now for nearly nine and a half
months, but about 45,000 miles
on my car, traveling the district
to hear directly from people,
showing up time and, again, at
debates and forum.
I called for the debates back in
March and I'm glad so many have
taken place and I am proud to be
here tonight.
We need to make sure that the voice
of the people is heard, and that
showing up time and again at local
town meetings, at public forums on
important issues, at regular
Republican meetings, but at
parades, at dairy breakfasts, at
rodeos, at all the town festivals
going on throughout our district.
Showing up matters, understanding
the issues directly from the people,
and not a lobbyist matters.
Knowing how to do the work matters
as well. And again, my experience in
manufacturing, specifically taking
on the federal bureaucracy.
Being dedicated to manufacturing
an industry here to save
thousands of domestic
manufacturing jobs.
That's exactly what I've done.
This is a very public, long job
interview and how we show up
matters.
I've shown up time and again and I
will continue to do so as your
representative to make sure your
voice is heard, that I listen,
that learned from you and I take my
proven lived experience to champion
our values, our way of life and
your values there as
Same question to Mr. Hermaning.
I think it's having an undying
belief in the greatness
of the United States of America.
God endowed.
We are a nation of
a diverse people,
certainly not flawless.
We've had a lot of mistakes as a
nation and many
leaders have failed us.
But you have to have a belief in
future of our country,
which is built on the foundation of
where we've come.
Over the course of the past now 250
years and a few days.
It is about conviction,
it is about confidence,
it is opportunity,
it's about belief in the Bible,
it's all belief in
our individual mores,
it's really understanding
that when it comes time
to do this job,
it means that we represent
the interests of the people of the
district. The people who voted for
us and the people who didn't vote
for us but live in our communities.
I've lived here for 40 years.
People know me.
They know my values.
They know core philosophy of
economic opportunity, personal
responsibility, and certainly a
strong belief in a national
defense that can protect
our nation on a dangerous world
stage.
So I will always show up,
not just during campaign time,
but after I'm elected.
Thank you, Mr. Hermaning.
We are nearing the end of our
debate.
Our final question, before closing
statements, we'll go to Mr. Alfonso
first.
So I want to know about an issue we
haven't spoken about tonight.
Mr. Alfonso, what is something we
missed in this debate that you think
is important to the people of the
district? Mr.Alfonso.
You know, going around the district,
there are a lot of issues in our
country, but the number one issue
I hear is about the tariffs.
You know we hear time and time again
from these DC swamp people
that the tariffs are causing
inflation, that the tariff are
negatively affecting our people,
that tariffs are creating fair
trade, not free trade.
Every farmer I have spoken to,
every manufacturer I have spoken to
has said, we do not want handouts.
What we want is an even
playing field.
And I'll tell you what.
I will take Wisconsin products,
the seventh district's products,
over any product in the entire
United States.
But it is Congress's job to
regulate commerce.
And when I go into
Congress, I will stand strong
with President Trump's tariff
agenda. But number two.
I will make sure that the revenue
generated from the tariffs will
go to the businesses affected
by the tariffs.
Thank you.
Ms. Baum, to you now, what's an
issue important to you we haven't
touched on yet.
All right, I'm gonna try to squeeze
two in.
We'll see how it goes.
First is around supporting our
small businesses.
One in five people
are bound by non-disclosure agree,
or non-compete agreements, sorry.
One in 5 people are found by
noncompete agreement.
So it's 32 million people
across the nation.
This limits people from starting
a small business.
This limits competition.
This limits.
The ability for people to pursue
entrepreneurship.
So I would like to see legislation
passed around non-compete
agreements being eliminated.
Also 1099 independent contractor
work.
This was regulated
more heavily under the Biden
administration and made harder for
people to be able to work as
an independent contractor under
1099.
That needs to get repealed.
It needs to be so that people can
actually work independently,
have their side hustles, and work
with different organizations.
Housing is a huge thing too.
At the federal level, I would
support housing initiatives
for small and medium sized
businesses that would help bring
our workforce up here and allow
them to hire employees and provide
them housing so that we can.
Make sure that our businesses are
getting the workers that they need
and to then those workers
have housing that they need to be
able to move and live in the area
Mrs. Evans, same question.
Well, we need to make sure our
country is secure, that we secure
our southern border, that we
continue to build and finish the
wall, that we deport violent
criminal illegal aliens.
I've talked with many sheriffs and
law enforcement officers throughout
this campaign time frame.
Honored to earn the backing of so
many sherifs, including right here
in Oneida County, Grady Hartman,
along with neighboring county
violists of Jerry Ritter and former
sheriff Joe Fath, along with Iron,
Lincoln and many other counties.
But as I've spoken with them,
they talked about how they see the
effects of good border policy.
When the border was open with
President Biden, they saw
an influx
of drugs coming into our
communities, targeting innocent
people. And they lost a lot of
lives. We've lost a lots of lives in
this district because of drugs.
Now the sheriffs have also said that
as soon as that border went up and
strong security took place once
again, as soon and as President
Trump came into office.
We saw a decrease, specifically a
fentanyl, and a significant decrease
in overdoses.
Policy matters, securing the border
matters, getting violent criminal
legal aliens matters as well.
We've lost innocent lives.
Young Sheridan out in
Chicago, a young woman just visiting
with her friends, hanging out and
was shot in the back of the head.
These bad policies by Biden have
had terrible repercussions on our
communities.
We've seen it time and again, we
have to continue to champion
President Trump's secure border
policy and tough on immigration.
Finally, to Mr. Hermaning.
Well, I'm gonna bring up the
president because the president
has done exactly what he
said he was going to do.
He's worked to secure the border and
he's done that.
He's work to bring about no
tax on social security,
no tax, on overtime,
no tax tips.
He's working in so many areas that
he promised during the 2024
election.
And the only thing that Congress has
to show for it is the passage of
the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last
July.
Now, it's great that they did that,
but that was only implementing part
of the president's agenda
because they made most of that
legislation temporary and they
didn't actually go far enough
because Congress actually simied
the rest of the President's agenda.
The president has put forth so many
executive orders and that's
fantastic.
Because it's protected the American
people and given us so many
opportunities.
Now Congress needs to finish its
job and put some of those
executive orders
into actual legislation
so that they will last
beyond the president's term,
which ends in January of 2029.
I am committed to helping him finish
that job when I'm elected and
take office next January.
We now move to our closing
statements.
Ms. Baum, you will go first.
Go ahead.
Well I want to take this moment
to announce something
pretty cool and exciting as part of
my campaign.
Starting tomorrow I'm going to be
embarking on a 400 mile
I'm going to be doing a biking trip
tour through the district starting
here in Rhinelander and
ending in Superior.
I will be slowing down and
really getting to know our different
communities, different industries,
different businesses and
organizations all and
how they impact our economy up
here and I will be meeting with
voters along the way to
talk with them and hear from them
directly. This tour
is really a testament
taking things a little bit slower,
really paying attention, really
taking the time to listen
and to get to know this district
instead of just buzzing through
towns and driving through quickly
and missing half of the things that
make them so unique and interesting.
And even just as I've been planning
this, it's incredible to see all the
different organizations and
businesses and industries and how
they differently impact each of our
communities. You might have
communities 20 miles from each
other, But yet.
Economic impacts for those two
communities could be completely
different.
And so I'm going to take this
opportunity to really showcase
what it is to be
a resident of the Northwoods
in the Seventh Congressional
District and what the needs of this
district are and here and
take that rate from the people
who are living in it and showcase it
to you.
Mrs. Eben, your closing statement.
I am the only candidate that has
both the energy and the experience
to properly get the job done and
represent the people here in the 7th
congressional district.
I'm the only candidates gone up
against the federal bureaucracy
under the Biden administration and
won saving thousands of domestic
manufacturing jobs right here in
our state of Wisconsin.
This is what it's going to take to
defend our values and our way of
life continuing the great work of
our congressman Tom Tiffany and
champion the America first agenda
alongside President Trump, standing
for our values.
I'm pro-life, 100% pro-
life, making sure we protect our
young children, make sure we protect
them as they age, to make sure that
we don't have men in girls'
bathrooms or in their sports or in
their locker rooms.
Make sure that protect our God-given
rights, including the Second
Amendment. Making sure our farmland
is not infringed upon, bought by
China, or covered in solar panels
or windmills.
We need to make sure that we
secure the southern border,
that we deport violent, criminal,
illegal aliens, and that we support
law enforcement.
And it's an honor in this race to be
backed by sheriffs from throughout
this district who defend a way of
life. That's what I'm fighting for.
I grew up out in the country amongst
the farms where neighbors had each
other's backs.
We solved our problems with common
sense solutions and the values
of faith, family, and freedom were
prevalent.
I want that for my son, and I want
that for all Wisconsinites, to
have a chance to chase and achieve
the American dream, which has
slipped out of grasp for so many.
We've got a lot of work to do.
I've committed to doing it.
I've got skin in the game.
And we have a tremendous
opportunity. But it's going to take
hard work. It's going take grit, not
a silver spoon or a red carpet,
but going out, taking my proven
lived and work experience to
defend our way of life within the
halls of Congress.
This is my mission in serving you.
So I ask for your support and for
your vote. On August 11th.
Mr. Hermaning, your closing
statement.
So President Trump made an
endorsement before I was in the
race.
But I have been so honored to
have earned the endorsement from
people who have gotten to know me
over the past 40 years.
Women like Senator Mary Felskowski,
several county party
chair women.
Across the seventh district.
State representatives, like my
neighbors, Pat Snyder,
fellow veterans, John Spiros and
Duke Tucker and Brent
Jacobson, who fought the COVID
mandates when I was school board
president in Mosoni and he was the
mayor.
My good friend, Senator Romaine
Quinn from up in the southwest
part of the district.
These folks have gotten to know me
over the course of the past many
years, not just during the course of
the campaign.
Or since moving into the district,
though for me, that was 41 years
ago.
People ask me why I'm running.
I do have a two and a half year old
grandson.
When I think about what's going on
halfway around the world right now,
I do not want him
to have to go fight a war that
isn't finished by president Trump.
Veterans are the last people who
want to commit troops on the ground
or even to an area that
is dangerous on the planet.
And I bring to
this seat, to this race,
a high degree of financial literacy,
and I am best positioned
to bring financial awareness
and literacy to Washington as
your next congressman.
I am ready on day one.
I'm not running to be somebody.
I am running to do something.
And I ask for your vote on August
11th.
Mr. Alfonso, your closing statement.
We've heard about a lot of problems
tonight.
And from some of my answers, you
might think that I'm a pessimist,
but I'm not.
I believe all Christians are called
to be happy warriors, or
in other words, optimists.
I believe in the future of
this country.
I raised my daughter in the Seventh
District because I believe in the
people of the Seventh District.
And my promise to you tonight is
the same I made to President Trump
when he gave me his endorsement.
I will bring the energy of a young
man but the values of
the people of the 7th District,
faith and family.
President Trump actually endorsed me
twice to make sure that it
was very clear he knew every
single person in this race.
He evaluated their experience.
He evaluated, more importantly,
their character and their
conviction and their work ethic.
And today, with
the support of the president, I now
ask for the support of the most
important people.
My neighbors in the seventh
district.
Please come out and vote.
August 11th, let's give President
Trump two more years in office and
not just talk about it.
Thank you.
As we wrap up tonight's debate, I
want to thank all four candidates
for taking part in this important
conversation, and thank you at home
for joining us.
We will be hosting the Democratic
primary debate next Tuesday, same
time. The actual primary is
on Tuesday, August 11th.
We encourage everyone to research
the candidates, make a plan to vote,
and most importantly, participate
in our democracy.
On behalf of everyone at WJFW,
thank you for watching.
Have a great evening.