Michael Alfonso, the youngest candidate in the 7th CD GOP primary, told WisPolitics he brought “energy” to the race that his rivals lacked, while the oldest touted his longevity in the district.

Meanwhile, Kevin Hermeming said his experience in the 7th CD and Jessi Ebben said her debate performances were the factors that would drive their success in the GOP primary. 

Three candidates in the four-way primary spoke to WisPolitics during today’s GOP convention. Niina Baum elected not to attend the convention, telling WisPolitics she instead would spend the weekend campaigning and canvassing the district.

Alfonso argued he was the only candidate with the energy to represent the breadth of the sprawling 7th CD, which covers 26 counties in northern Wisconsin. 

“We see what happens in a race when we don’t have any energy. Republicans lose. It’s a turnout issue,” Alfonso said at the state GOP convention today. 

Alfonso, the 26-year-old son-in-law of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, leads primary candidates in fundraising and has the endorsement of President Donald Trump. 

On the other end of the age spectrum, Wausau financial adviser and former Marathon County Chair Kevin Hermening said his longevity in the district offered him an advantage his opponents lacked. 

“When you have 41 years of living in a community and investing in a community, you don’t have to buy your name ID,” said Hermening, who has funneled $1 million of his own money into his campaign but received less in outside contributions than Alfonso or Jessi Ebbes, a director with Ashley Furniture.

Ebben, on the other hand, said candidates’ debate performances would decide the primary. 

“Every single county of this district deserves the candidates to show up and answer the tough questions and to provide the responses. Michael Alfonso has not shown up, not to a single debate,” Ebben said. 

Alfonso has come under fire from his fellow candidates and some county party chairs for skipping local debates and town halls; he reiterated today that he was open to debating his opponents in the future but pointed out that candidates were still collecting signatures. 

Alfonso, Ebben and Hermening said they supported President Donald Trump’s handling of the Iran war. Asked about gas prices, Ebben suggested price increases were the result of “profiteering” and blamed the Biden administration for driving up inflation.

Alfonso acknowledged gas prices were a strong indicator of what party would win in the midterms. 

“We elected a president that is going to do the right thing, regardless of what the consequences are. We’ve been in a cold war with Iran since the 1970s? I think it’s important that we have a president who’s willing to take a stand despite any fallout,” he said. 

Hermening said Americans were willing to support foreign policy efforts that helped the U.S. and other countries, but that Americans would not tolerate high gas prices forever and would make that clear in November.

But, he noted wryly, “I didn’t get the endorsement of the president; so one other candidate has to kind of defend that.”

Asked about the future of the GOP after Trump, Alfonso predicted “growing pains” but said that Trump had empowered Republicans to be “unapologetically conservative.”

He predicted a shift from “old-fashioned Republican politics” to policies informed by conservative Christianity. 

Ebben said the party would continue pursuing an “America First” agenda on issues like reshoring manufacturing.

“President Trump has talked about the forgotten men and women of America, and that’s right here in the heartland,” Ebben said. “That’s right here in rural Wisconsin, and he’s remembering them, and that’s what we’re going to be charging ahead with.” 

Hermening said the GOP would continue to be the party of America First, “but not America only.”

He specifically predicted the decline of Turning Point USA and its isolationist stance in the party. 

“Turning Point follows Donald Trump, not his philosophy,” Hermening said. “When Trump is gone, his personality ceases to exist as a leader of the Republican Party.