Campus Republicans gathered Wednesday night for a meet-and-greet event with U.S. Congressional candidate Dave Magnum.

Magnum — who is aiming to oust U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., this November to take control of Wisconsin's second district — spoke briefly with students, answering questions about his campaign platform and addressing concerns about the platform of his challenger.

The University of Wisconsin Students for Magnum kickoff meeting attracted a handful of politically interested people, many of whom expressed worry over Wisconsin's future under the direction of incumbent Baldwin.

According to some Magnum student supporters, Baldwin promotes her own extremist values while ignoring those of her Wisconsin constituency and neglecting her job as a representative.

Magnum promoted this moderate stance as proof of his independent mindedness and ability to represent all of his constituents, even despite possible differences in opinion.

According to Magnum, Baldwin only represents those who share her extremist views and is only willing to participate in debates featuring a friendly and complicit audience, in effect marginalizing the rest of her district and unfairly putting Madison on an "island."

But Baldwin backers argue the eight-year incumbent has always remembered her obligation to the state, consistently fighting for students and their interests.

"[Students] are really who got her elected in the first place, and she doesn't forget that," Students for Tammy Baldwin Chair Stephanie Biese said in an interview. "I think that Tammy's history, and her support of the community and of students, will definitely help her out on Election Day."

As some Democrats continue to confidently back Baldwin, Magnum supporters expressed an equal amount of assurance Wednesday as they planned campaign tactics and geared up for upcoming events.

Students for Magnum Chair Michael Hahn said the group is working to generate publicity for Magnum on campus, planning head-to-head debates with Baldwin and promoting an overall student awareness of the Congressional choices open to them.

"It's not pushed out there and explicitly said but there's this implied thing that if you go to Madison, you're going to be a liberal," Hahn said in an interview. "I don't think people realize that there's somebody else besides Baldwin."

According to Magnum, realizing this choice is imperative for the well-being of the state as more and more college graduates and small business owners are finding they can't survive in Wisconsin.

"[Baldwin] has turned our Congressional office into nothing more than a grand lobbying firm for her pet special interests," he said in an interview after the event.

Politicians like Baldwin are nothing but "benchwarmers," Magnum added, explaining extremists may make the most noise but prove to be the least effective in the end.

But some see Magnum as just as extremist and say that defending Baldwin is the right choice for Madison students. Biese said Magnum is anything but moderate, pointing to Magnum's anti-abortion record.

Baldwin and Magnum plan to debate Oct. 8 and Oct. 15 on the UW campus.

"I encourage people to come to debate and check out the candidates and make up their own mind about who they want to vote for," Biese said.