The Forward Party has endorsed a pair of major party congressional candidates, backing Republican Niina Baum in Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District and Democrat Alissa Ellman in New York’s 24th Congressional District.
The party announced the endorsements in a July 23 statement, praising both for their records of community service and focus on constituent representation. Forward Party CEO Lindsey Drath said that although Baum and Ellman come from different political backgrounds, they share an interest in placing effective governance ahead of partisanship.
“Forward’s mission is to support leaders who put problem solving and effective representation ahead of partisan incentives,” Drath said. “Niina Baum and Alissa Ellman come from different political parties and different backgrounds, but both have built records of service in their communities and are focused on representing the people they seek to serve.”
Baum is one of five Republicans appearing on the ballot in Wisconsin’s August 11 state primary for the seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is running for governor rather than seeking another term. Three Democrats are also seeking their party’s nomination. Independent Political Report is not aware of an independent or third party candidate stepping forward this cycle.
A business owner from the Rhinelander area, Baum serves on the Town of Crescent Planning Commission and the Rhinelander Rotary Club board. The Forward Party also praised her work co-founding Northwoods Young Professionals and helping establish a program that provides food to elementary school students. Baum has pledged not to accept corporate political action committee contributions, while her campaign has focused on affordability, rural economic development, and reducing political polarization.
While Baum must first advance through the primary, Ellman has already secured the Democratic nomination after defeating Diana Kastenbaum with roughly 59 percent of the vote in New York’s June 23 primary. She will challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney in November. Independent candidate Todd Sloan is also pursuing a court challenge after election officials determined that his petitions fell 23 valid signatures short of qualifying for the ballot, though that outcome is pending.
Ellman is a U.S. Army veteran who later worked as a military contractor at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. She also worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs before her employment ended during federal workforce reductions brought on by the Department of Government Efficiency in 2025. Her campaign has focused on lowering household costs, strengthening public services and infrastructure, and making government more responsive, including through the adoption of ranked-choice voting.
The Forward Party said the endorsements are part of its larger effort to support candidates who demonstrate a “commitment to public service and responsive governance,” adding that it has backed candidates from several political backgrounds ahead of November.
A list maintained by the national party shows that it has endorsed 17 candidates in 2026, the bulk of whom are running as independents or unaffiliated candidates, under the Forward label, or in nonpartisan races. According to that same list, Baum and Ellman are the first Republican and Democrat, respectively, to earn the national organization’s support this cycle.
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