Rhinelander, WI — Congressional candidate Niina Baum became the first candidate in Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District to secure ballot access for the August 11th Republican primary, submitting 1,232 nomination signatures to the Wisconsin Elections Commission on Monday, May 18th. Of those submitted, 1,198 were approved, well exceeding the 1,000 signatures required.

Baum has spent less than $10,000 on her campaign so far. It is a stark contrast to the spending patterns emerging in this race.

Combined, other candidates in this race have funneled more than $5 million into their campaigns. Baum has pledged to accept no corporate PAC money.

“This is what a fiscally conservative campaign looks like,” said Baum. “We choose not to have a large budget. We did not have a political machine handed to us. We are building one with people, volunteers, and a strategy designed to succeed without gross amounts of spending. That is how people-first campaigns operate.”

Baum argues that heavy self-funding and large PAC spending is a red flag for voters, not a credential.

The contrast is intentional. Baum has run her campaign on the principle that political office should not require personal wealth or powerful connections, and that the concentration of money in congressional races is itself evidence of the corruption she is running to fix.

“We need to be effective without constantly draining ordinary people to fund campaigns that are going up against the swamp. The people of northern Wisconsin deserve a representative who proves it before they even get to Washington. We are breaking the cycle of election fundraising contests because elections need to be affordable again. The average cost of a congressional campaign is around two million dollars. That is not feasible for the average person.”

Signature collection highlights:

  • 1,232 signatures submitted, 1,198 approved (and more coming in still)
  • First candidate in WI-07 to achieve ballot access
  • Signatures collected across the district by a volunteer team of dedicated community supporters

The August 11th primary will determine the Republican nominee for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, which covers 26 counties across northern and western Wisconsin.

For more information visit baumforwisconsin.com.