Several right-wing billionaire megadonors, like the Uhleins, Diane Hendricks of ABC Supply and the co-founder of Kwik Trip, made big donations to the Republican incumbent.

September 11, 2024

By Maggie Zale, THE BADGER PROJECT

The 7th Congressional District is Wisconsin’s largest by area, encompassing most of the northwestern section of the state. It includes Superior, Rhinelander, Antigo and Wausau. Democrat Dave Obey held the district for decades until retiring in 2010.

U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Republican from Hazelhurst near Minocqua, was first elected to serve Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District in 2020 after U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy, another Republican, resigned. Tiffany previously served in the Wisconsin State Assembly and Senate. 

The Democratic challenger, Kyle Kilbourn, has served on the board of neighborhood groups in several communities where he has lived and has volunteered for the Oneida County Tourism Diversity & Equity Inclusion project, according to his campaign website. 

Kilbourn is far behind Tiffany in fundraising. The incumbent is sitting on about $736,000, while the challenger reports about $24,000 on hand, according to their most recent campaign finance reports to the Federal Elections Commission.

Donations to candidates for federal offices from individuals are capped at $3,300 per election, so a person can give a candidate for Congress a max of $6,600 per election cycle, as it includes both a primary and a general. Political action committees that give to multiple candidates can donate up to $5,000 per election, for a total of $10,000 per election cycle.

Tiffany has received the maximum donation from several individuals, including Donald Zietlow, the co-founder and former CEO of Kwik Trip, and billionaire Republican megadonors Diane Hendricks, co-founder and chair of ABC Supply, and Elizabeth Uihlein, president and co-founder of the packaging giant ULINE, according to Open Secrets. Her husband Richard Uihlein, another billionaire Republican megadonor, has given Tiffany $5,800, according to campaign finance reports.

The Automotive Free International Trade PAC donated the maximum of $10,000 to Tiffany this year, according to Open Secrets. Tiffany also received $8,000 from the National Beer Wholesalers Association and $5,000 from the House Freedom Fund.

Kilbourn’s largest donation of $3,300 came from Margery Langeland of Rhinelander. The Democrat also received $2,000 each from John Langeland, Gerald Anderson, and Susan Anderson, all from Rhinelander. 

ISSUES

Tiffany’s platform stresses border security and building a strong economy, according to his campaign website. In July 2024, the incumbent introduced a bill to designate the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior as Wisconsin’s first National Park.

A fierce supporter of former President Donald Trump, Tiffany backed an unsuccessful and widely-panned attempt to have the U. S. Supreme Court overturn the 2020 election.

On Jan. 6, 2021, Tiffany was one of 147 Republicans who objected to certifying the results of the presidential election in two states. Later that day, members of Congress had to flee as the U.S. Capitol was attacked by an angry mob of Trump supporters.

Kilbourn’s platform prioritizes supporting working families, creating accessible health care in rural communities and the importance of environmental stewardship, according to his campaign website. This is his first time running for Congress. 

Kilbourn faced Elsa Duranceau, a U.S. Air Force veteran from Merrill, in the August primary and won with 58% of the vote. 

Tiffany reports owning a billboard in Oneida, Wisconsin, according to his mandatory financial disclosure report to the U.S. House.

The Badger Project is a nonpartisan, citizen-supported journalism nonprofit in Wisconsin.

This article first appeared on The Badger Project and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.