Democratic momentum in Wisconsin nudges congressional district to the left

Political predictions move Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District slightly to Democrats’ favor

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Kyle Frenette is a small business owner and entrepreneur born and raised in Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District.

On Friday, April 6, Cook Political Report, the non-partisan election forecaster, predicted a leftward  shift in 13 congressional districts in the United States, including Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District. The rating in the district has gone from solid Republican to likely Republican.

This shift could be caused by Democrats’ enthusiasm about voting in the November election. In a recent CNN/SSRS survey, 51%  of Democrats said they were “extremely” or “very” enthusiastic about voting. This is compared to only 36% of Republicans who showed enthusiasm. The Cook Political Report also noted young voters are expressing more interest in voting than they did four years ago, which could also be the cause of this slight shift to the left.

At the same time, Kyle Frenette, one of five Democratic candidates running against Republican Sean Duffy for the 7th District seat, reported raising more than $250,000 in only six weeks since announcing his campaign. The youngest of the five candidates, 30-year-old Frenette has managed the Grammy Award-winning Eau Claire-based band Bon Iver since 2006 and was also a key contributor to the early stages of the Confluence Arts Center development in downtown Eau Claire, an $85 million arts center set to open this fall. Born and raised in Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, Kyle wants to be a leader and representative for the people of the district as doesn’t see any leadership from Sean Duffy, who has represented the district since 2010. According to Frenette, “Folks up north are itching for change.” Other democratic primary candidates for this race include David Beeksma, Margaret Engebretson, Brian Ewert and Bob Look. 


For the full April House Overview, visit cookpolitical.com