Kyle Kilbourn

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Kyle Kilbourn

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 2000

Graduate

University of Southern Denmark, Sønderborg, 2005

Ph.D

University of Southern Denmark, Sønderborg, 2008

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

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Personal LinkedIn

Kyle Kilbourn (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Kilbourn completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Kyle Kilbourn earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities in 2000 and a graduate degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Southern Denmark, Sønderborg in 2005 and 2008, respectively.

Elections

2024

See also: Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District election, 2024

Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 13 Democratic primary)

Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 13 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7

Incumbent Tom Tiffany defeated Kyle Kilbourn in the general election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tom Tiffany (R)	63.6	273,553
		Kyle Kilbourn (D)	36.4	156,524
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	307

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 430,384
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7

Kyle Kilbourn defeated Elsa Duranceau in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 on August 13, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kyle Kilbourn	58.0	32,917
		Elsa Duranceau	41.9	23,795
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	63

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 56,775
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7

Incumbent Tom Tiffany advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 on August 13, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tom Tiffany	99.4	78,503
		Other/Write-in votes	0.6	449

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 78,952
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Cheryl Ann Runkel (R)

Endorsements

Kilbourn received the following endorsements.

• Wisconsin 7th Congressional District Democrats

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Kyle Kilbourn completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kilbourn's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Kyle’s childhood nickname “MacGyver” embodies his approach to life - there is always a way forward. He spent most of his childhood in North Dakota.

Being from a small town, Kyle dreamed of exploring the world. Watching his divorced parents juggle 2-3 jobs at a time and tackle debilitating health issues, he believed studying hard would make his dream come true. With a bit of luck and a lot of hard work, he had a career that took him across the world, and back.

Kyle was first in his family to graduate with a four-year and graduate degrees. As an undergrad, he met his now husband, Chris, together since their first date in 1999. Their first adventure saw Kyle moving to Denmark to pursue advanced degrees in design and innovation.

Kyle knows and respects the value of work through his many jobs over the years. His first job was a school janitor where he earned his first paycheck and love of cleaning things up. Professionally, has was a researcher at innovation consultancy where he dove deep into how to design better products and services, a university professor of a research group where he taught students how to create better experiences, a research at a medical company where he found collaborative ways of engaging patients and clinicians, and a strategist at a retail company where he worked with business executives to bring new concepts and ideas to market. Kyle excels in listening to find common values and fight for solutions that meet everyone's needs.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• This campaign is about Wisconsinites coming together through common sense solutions. Everyone should see the benefits of a functioning democratic society. I want to break through the partisan divide and ask instead "how might we?" to hope for a better future, while respecting key time-honored traditions that make Wisconsin what it is today.
• Politics has made any discussions around healthcare, safety, and mental wellness one-sided rather than conversations. We need to bring viable ideas to life. I am an advocate for making citizens lives better.
• Our communities are on the front lines of keeping the environment clean. In Wisconsin, our natural resources are inseparable from the people that live here.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Healthcare that works for everyone. The healthcare system isn’t broken. It is working as designed. It just isn’t designed for patients. There are too many middle men taking their cut, making it unaffordable for everyone. The good news is this problem has already been solved around the world. We know what it takes to bring down costs and ensure all companies contribute to making healthcare work for everyone, not just for themselves. Keeping America healthy helps everyone pursue the American Dream.

Safe Communities and Homes. America is in a mental health crisis that we are barely mobilizing against. Underlying causes of violence and crime are left unaddressed. Law enforcement is left without the critical tools they need to engage the community as suicides, drug abuse, and violence create a feeling of fear in our neighborhoods and communities. Everyone has the right to be and feel safe in their home and community.

Clean Water and Environment, Today and Tomorrow. We are starting to feel the effects of previous decisions as we learn about PFAS in our water, invasive species in our lakes, and the rise in respiratory diseases. We have a responsibility to keep our environment pure for the next generation while balancing our need to enjoy and capitalize on the natural beauty that surrounds us in Wisconsin. Clean drinking water, clear skies, and pristine forests respects our past and future generations.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

An elected official must take seriously all the concerns of the constituents. They must be willing to listen to opposing viewpoints and find a way to ensure no one feels left behind or ignored, by explaining their decisions.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am a great listener and genuinely want to know what others think and why. I have a background as a researcher where my job was to visit people in their homes to understand their needs and values to help make better products and services. I want to use that quality of deep listening to help remove barriers of Wisconsinites achieving their own American Dream.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was at 14 years old as a school janitor during the summer. Because of my family's low income, I was able to join a government program that gave kids like me a chance at securing summer employment at an early age.

What is your favorite book? Why?

It's an dense book (so probably not for everyone) that has a chapter I wrote: "Design Anthropology: Theory and Practice" edited by Gunn, Otto, and Smith. The reason it is a favorite for me, is that it compiles experiences from writers across the world on an emerging field that at its core is understanding the human experience and how to improve it through design.

It is an academic text, but does have examples of how this is brought through life with designers. Instead of being "armchair philosophy" the core is about getting out into real life and people's homes to make a difference.

I think there is parallels in politics, with discussions being held in a vacuum without regards for what it means for citizen's lives.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Trust. A government not trusted by its people does not have a long future. We need to rebuild that trust in democracy.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I've heard from many folks about people moving away to find higher paying jobs. Grandparents want to continue living in the district, but they want to be near their grandchildren and ultimately move away to be closer to family. It is heart breaking that people can't continue to live in the place they love because they feel isolated and alone. The vibrancy of the district will continue to decrease until we find solutions to keep young families in the area.

On the reverse, we can also attract new families to the area, over 30% of residents in the district were born in another state. These people are choosing to make our part of Wisconsin home. Not everyone is lucky to be born in the place that fits them, but if we can attract the businesses, talent, and money to our area we are more likely to keep current residents.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

I'm pragmatic. That means for most situations it is about "what works" not true or false, right or wrong. Compromise is another way of saying how do we move forward with the greatest support. We must continue to make progress, and not dwell on perfection.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Kilbourn’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Today, extremist politicians are trying to take us backward in time with their attempts to strip away civil freedoms, voting rights, social security, and our futures. You have a choice. You can move us all forward by protecting our families, freedoms, and futures. When elected to Congress, Kyle will fight for the working families of Wisconsin today and prioritize the safety and well-being of the generations of tomorrow. 1. Prioritize Working Families Make Healthcare Work for Everyone Kyle believes that health care is a human right. Keeping Americans healthy helps everyone pursue their own American Dream. The healthcare system isn’t broken. It is working as designed: to profit major insurance companies and bankrupt patients There are too many middlemen taking their cut, making it unaffordable for everyone. Let’s create a health care system where everyone can get the care they need, when they need it, without having to worry about a bill. Tackle the Cost of Living Crisis It’s unconscionable that in the richest country in the world, we have people working full-time, and they still can’t afford proper housing and childcare. Too often, working families are making tough choices at the kitchen table between paying bills or buying food. We need federal policies that reward hard work, not how many lobbyists you bring to Washington. The economy is rigged towards rewarding those with connections and wealth. We can help Wisconsin working families by enacting a federal jobs program to ensure everyone has access to a stable job at a living wage. Let’s make unemployment, childcare deserts, and homelessness a relic of the past. Save Social Security and Respect our Veterans Protecting earned benefits like Social Security and Medicare, providing long-term care, and responsive services benefits everyone in the long run. Lobbyists are pushing to privatize our earned benefits and services so they can make a profit. Our seniors and veterans protected us when we were vulnerable, it’s our turn to protect them. From creating affordable housing that’s senior-friendly to veteran services that respond to their unique needs, we need to build a stable foundation that respects their hard work and contributions to our society. 2. Fight for a Livable Future Combat Climate Change and Clean up our Environment Wisconsin is home to flourishing forests, wildlife, and waterways – it’s part of the reason why so many families love living here. But it’s clear that our environment is in danger due to the recklessness of special interests and the politicians in their pockets. Whether it’s PFAS in our water, invasive species in our lakes, or the threat of climate change, without urgent action, the next generation will be left with a world with extreme heat and wildfires, failing crops, climate refugees, and extreme weather catastrophes. Kyle will champion legislation that creates good-paying green jobs for Wisconsin families while transitioning our economy away from fossil fuels. A truly energy-independent future is one where the next generation will thrive on a livable planet. Create Communities that are Safe and Supportive In our nation, a pressing mental health and substance abuse crisis demands our urgent attention. We recognize the need to address this issue comprehensively to build safer, stronger communities. By expanding access to mental health care, bolstering care facilities, and acknowledging that law enforcement cannot be the sole solution to these crises, we commit to forging a path toward positive change. We have a vision for Wisconsin that encompasses a holistic approach where individuals receive the care and support they deserve. Let’s foster a society where mental health challenges are met with compassion, resources, and effective interventions, contributing to the betterment and safety of our communities. 3. Secure Our American Freedoms Safeguard democracy, freedom and privacy America is a global example of democracy of and for the people. Ensuring the integrity of our voting process is paramount, shielding it from the influence of extreme factions aiming to disrupt elections through harassment and restrictive measures. Preserving fair and unbiased elections, devoid of gerrymandering, remains pivotal to upholding public trust in our government. The democratic ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are lofty aspirations that define our nation. However, recent court rulings have begun to undermine our progress in achieving these ideals. Instances such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the permitting of discrimination against LGBTQ+ citizens by businesses are indicative of threats to our cherished freedoms. Kyle is committed to fortifying the hard-won liberties we hold dear, with a special focus on ensuring women's autonomy in medical choices and advocating for equal rights under the law. His dedication to preserving these fundamental rights stands as a cornerstone of his platform.	”
—Kyle Kilbourn’s campaign website (2024)

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Kyle Kilbourn campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House Wisconsin District 7	Lost general	$233,031	$218,055
Grand total			$233,031	$218,055
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

See also

2024 Elections

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Candidate

U.S. House Wisconsin District 7

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Footnotes

[show]

Wisconsin's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Tammy Baldwin (D)

Ronald Johnson (R)

Representatives

District 1

Bryan Steil (R)

District 2

Mark Pocan (D)

District 3

Derrick Van Orden (R)

District 4

Gwen Moore (D)

District 5

Scott Fitzgerald (R)

District 6

Glenn Grothman (R)

District 7

Tom Tiffany (R)

District 8

Tony Wied (R)

Republican Party (7)

Democratic Party (3)