Meet the Three Democratic Candidates for 7th Congressional District Seat
Chris Armstrong, Fred Clark and Ginger Murray will vie for the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District in the Aug. 11 fall primary.
Challengers Chris Armstrong, Fred Clark and Ginger Murray will compete for the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in the Aug. 11 fall primary election.
U.S. representatives serve two-year terms. The candidate who receives the most votes will appear as the Democratic candidate in the Nov. 3 general election.
Current Wisconsin 7th Congressional District Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Minocqua) is not seeking reelection to this office as he is seeking election to the office of Wisconsin governor. Five candidates are currently vying for the Republican nomination for Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District seat in the Aug. 11 fall primary election.
To learn more about registering to vote and to find your polling place, visit My Vote Wisconsin.
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin asked each of the candidates to address important issues in the district and why they are running for the position.
Chris Armstrong
Residence: New RichmondAge: 60Occupation and education: I grew up on the Apple River, north of Star Prairie in Polk County, and went to school in Amery. Went to college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Minnesota-Twin Cities to earn a bachelor of science degree in astrophysics. I raised both of my kids in New Richmond, where I currently live with wife Diana. For 30 years, I have been the owner of a small business in the IT industry with offices in Hudson and New Richmond.Relevant experience: I’m just a normal guy who grew up here, raised my family here and started my own business here. My qualifications are that I’m a longtime, everyday Wisconsin resident who is fed up with the status quo. My job as an enterprise architect is to bring together disparate groups of stakeholders, work to a common understanding of the problem and then collaborate to come up with the optimal solution that best meets the needs of everyone, in the face of overwhelming complexity and a continually changing landscape.Campaign website/Facebook page: https://armstrongforwisconsin.com and Chris Armstrong for Congress on Facebook
Fred Clark
Residence: BayfieldAge: 67Occupation and education: Retired foresterRelevant experience: As a forester and land manager I’ve spent years working outdoors in all seasons throughout Wisconsin. As a longtime business owner and employer, organizational executive and volunteer leader, I’ve led teams and helped people solve problems and perform at their best. As a rural state legislator, I’ve worked hard to tackle challenges at home and support people from all walks of life and politics. I’m the only candidate of either party with prior experience as an elected representative, and I will bring that experience to the people of the 7th Congressional District on day one after I take office.Campaign website/Facebook page: clarkforwi.com and Fred Clark for WI on Facebook
Ginger Murray
Residence: New LisbonAge: 56Occupation and education: Attorney and small business owner of Your Family Law Center. Bachelor's degree in behavioral science and law from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Juris Doctor from Mississippi College School of LawRelevant experience: Candidate did not provide a response to this question.Campaign website/Facebook page: www.gingerforus.com
Why are you running for office?
Armstrong: In February 2025, amid the flurry of illegal and unconstitutional actions of the Trump administration, I went down the busiest intersection in New Richmond and started protesting by myself. In March 2025, I got involved with the Democratic Party to get out the vote for the spring election. Shortly after that I founded New Richmond Indivisible with other local organizers. In April 2025, I started my campaign to take that fight to Congress. There is nothing we can’t do when we work together to demand change. 2026 is the Year of the People!Clark: Whether it’s our public lands, good schools, clean air and water, or assuring health care for Wisconsin citizens, what happens in Washington affects all of us here in Northern Wisconsin. Now more than ever, people across the political spectrum want our elected representatives to represent ALL of us, not the billionaires and elites whose influence captures politicians of both parties. I would like to serve the people of Northern Wisconsin in Congress as someone who will stand up, represent their communities and do the work we expect from our elected representatives.Murray: I can't sit by while our democracy is at risk. The final straw? My adult daughters aren't interested in having children — one is an environmental scientist who believes we're failing our planet; the other has twice been in school lockdowns during active shooter threats, met only with "thoughts and prayers." Meanwhile, families across the 7th Congressional District are splitting pills to pay bills while billionaires get tax cuts and rural hospitals close. This is my community. My lifelong Northwoods roots and legal skills make me uniquely qualified to advocate for these folks — and I'm ready.
What makes you the better candidate in this race?
Armstrong: I was the first candidate from either party to enter the race, even before Tom Tiffany declared his candidacy for governor. When I started protesting last year, I never imagined I’d be running for Congress today. I am unabashed regarding my position that Donald Trump and his cabinet must be impeached and removed from office. Nothing else is more important. What is the point of passing any new laws when this administration flagrantly breaks the law every single day.Clark: The 7th Congressional District is a historically conservative district and for a Democrat to win THIS district it will require a different approach and a different kind of candidate. Not a middle-of-the-road candidate but someone strong in their values who can relate to people across the political spectrum and who will show up anywhere and meet people where they’re at. As a longtime forester, small business owner and former state legislator, I am the candidate best prepared to do that work.Murray: I've been a leader all my life — from Wabeno High School class president to Lions Club president. I was born in Eau Claire, and raised, educated, married and built my 30-year legal career in this district. I'm not a career politician — I'm an award-winning lawyer who gets results: recovering tens of thousands in federal reimbursements owed to Northern Wisconsin counties, with a settlement rate near 90%. I've worked with local governments of every political stripe, and my endorsements cross party lines because we are "Better Together." Congress needs someone who studied the Constitution and has the legal skills to enforce it.
What is the most pressing issue facing the 7th Congressional District, and how would you address it?
Armstrong: Affordability, plain and simple. People are working just as hard as they always have and are still falling behind. Groceries, gas, rent and one bad trip to the ER can wipe out what a family spent a lifetime building. We need to provide affordable health care, kill the tariffs, stop the illegal war in Iran, tax the ultra-wealthy and large corporations, invest in renewable energy, adopt sensible trade policies and strengthen our safety net for under-served and struggling families.Clark: Over the last 50 years, costs for housing, health care, child care, transportation and higher education have risen far faster than wages. Northern Wisconsin families can't keep up. Working and middle-class families earning between $32,500 and $100,000 are falling behind because the traditional safety net doesn't reach them. In Congress, I will support: enforcing anti-trust laws against large corporations in food, manufacturing, entertainment and finance that force higher prices; restoring an expanded, refundable Child Tax Credit for families earning under $150,000; expanding affordable housing funding and easing regulations to build more; and making truly affordable health care available to everyone.Murray: Affordability. Everything costs more — child care, health care, housing, groceries, even the gas to get to work — but pay stays the same. The BBB hands billionaires and the new trillionaire tax cuts while this administration cuts services for seniors, veterans and folks with disabilities. Those are not the choices I will make. People in our district are clear: they need me in D.C. to cut prescription and health care costs, protect rural hospitals, make child care and housing affordable, fund public schools, support our farmers and small businesses, and pass a tax code that puts the Northwoods before billionaires.
What are residents telling you are their most important issues, and how would you address them?
Armstrong: Health care comes up everywhere I go. Some politicians believe you need to work to get health care. I believe you need to be healthy to work. I support Medicare for All so everyone has access to quality health care. We also need to invest in health care infrastructure, so people don’t have to drive hours to receive care. We need to end the tariffs that are making it too hard for our farmers and manufacturers to remain competitive and stay in business. We need to implement a data center moratorium and put in place appropriate regulations before things get more out of hand.Clark: In addition to concerns about affordability, the other issue I hear most about is health care. In Congress, I will support providing a federal public health care option available for everyone; protecting, expanding and strengthening Medicare and Medicaid; ensuring that mental health care is treated and prioritized equally with physical health; requiring Medicare to negotiate with drug makers to make prescription drugs affordable; and ensuring access for women to the full scope of maternal and reproductive health care in federal law.Murray: Show up, listen and get results. From Wausau to Superior to Crandon — in every small town across our 26 counties — you hear the same concerns in two lanes: what folks need (relief from climbing costs, hospitals and clinics closing, child care deserts, rural schools waiting on promised funds, attacks on our natural resources, decisions that degrade women) and what they fear — the demise of democracy. I'll tackle these the way I've always worked: identify the problem, do the research, get results. With more work horses and fewer show horses, Congress could actually take care of the people who put them there. Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Contact him at epfantz@usatodayco.com.