Moderate Republican Baum wants more unity, warns of AI data centers in 7th Congressional

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - Niina Baum says she wants to provide a more moderate voice to the Republican party.

The first-time candidate is among 5 Republicans in the primary for the 7th Congressional District.

She grew up in Price County and owns a marketing agency in Rhinelander. One of her top policies she’s running on is against AI data centers.

“Now, I know a lot of people in the 7th District aren’t as concerned about, a data center being built in their backyard because we have some lack of infrastructure to support something like that,” Baum said in a sit down interview at NewsChannel 7. “But the district is really large and there is actually a very large, a billion dollar data center proposed over in Menomonie that spans over 300 acres. And that’s just outside the district. I don’t think we can discount that the 7th district isn’t at risk.”

Baum considers herself a “Reagan Republican.”

“I think of this as more of like a traditional legacy Republican mindset,” she said. “Now, (I’m) not going to copy his economic policy from that era. There’s a lot of controversy around that. But I think, more, I want to embody that optimism that he had and unity bringing people together more.”

Baum says she didn’t vote for President Donald Trump this last time. It took asking her three times how she would grade the President’s second term. You can hear her answer to that question, thoughts on immigration, Wisconsin Elections Commission, campaign money and more in our full conversation.

Current congressman Tom Tiffany is running for Wisconsin Governor.

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