RHINELANDER, WI — As voters in Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District evaluate candidates for Congress, Niina Baum brings something that can’t be manufactured on the campaign trail: a lifetime of actually living here.
Baum, who turns 31 next month, has lived in the 7th Congressional District for 29 of her 31 years — 93.5% of her life. She was born and raised on a dairy farm in Price County, attended Northland College in Ashland, and has called Oneida County home for the past seven years. The two years she spent outside the district were intentional: one year in Alaska to advance her dog mushing experience and explore the Last Frontier, and one year in Green Bay contributing to large-scale economic and workforce development projects through the Greater Green Bay Chamber. Both experiences brought her back to the Northwoods with more to offer.
“I didn’t come back to this district to run for Congress,” Baum said. “I never really left. This is where I grew up, where I built my businesses, where I serve on local boards, and where I’ve spent my career working to make our communities stronger. Northern Wisconsin isn’t a campaign stop for me — it’s my home.”
That lifetime of roots has translated into a career of community investment. Baum co-founded Northwoods Young Professionals to help retain young talent in the region, was appointed to the Town of Crescent planning commission, serves on the Rhinelander Rotary board as committee chair, and organized a World Championship mushing event in Minocqua that drew 350 athletes from 23 countries and generated $400,000 in economic impact for the region (previously estimated at $250,000 before all the data was evaluated and recently updated to $400,000). She is also the owner of Valo Media, a Northwoods marketing agency serving rural small businesses, and brings prior experience in nonprofit economic and workforce development.
Outside of her professional life, Baum has competed as a Team USA dog musher for 24 years, earning silver and bronze medals at World Championship competitions.
“I’ve watched dairy farms disappear in my lifetime. I’ve seen young people leave because they can’t find housing or jobs up here. I’ve sat in planning commission meetings and Rotary board meetings and community forums because I care about what happens to this place,” Baum said. “That’s not a resume line for me — that’s my life. And that’s exactly the kind of representative northern Wisconsin deserves in Washington.”
Baum is running as a moderate Republican grounded in conservative values — fiscal responsibility, limited government, low taxes, and upholding constitutional rights — and focused on practical solutions for northern Wisconsin, including removing barriers to building homes, supporting small farms and passing a new Farm Bill, addressing AI data center energy costs and their impact on ratepayers, and protecting Social Security. She has pledged to accept zero corporate PAC money.
About Niina Baum: Niina Baum is a candidate for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District. Born and raised on a dairy farm in Price County, she is the owner of Valo Media, a Northwoods marketing agency, co-founder of Northwoods Young Professionals, Town of Crescent planning commission member, Rhinelander Rotary board member and committee chair, and Team USA dog musher who earned silver and bronze medals at World Championship competitions. She lives in Oneida County.
