Paul Wikstrom

Paul Wikstrom has spent more than a decade coaching youth soccer and is a pilot whose campaign describes volunteer flights for medical missions.¹ He and his wife, Liz, raised three children in Shoreview.¹ He grew up in Montana and North Dakota before moving to Minnesota as a young adult.¹

Before earning his electrical engineering degree at the University of Minnesota, Wikstrom worked in seismic exploration, road construction and farming.² His professional career spans more than 35 years in engineering and management, including work in Minnesota's medical technology and aerospace industries.² He also describes more than 25 years of Republican organizing, including convening caucuses and chairing conventions.¹

Wikstrom ran for a state House seat in 2024 and successfully challenged the winning candidate's district residency in court; a judge barred that candidate from taking office.³ Wikstrom then lost the March 2025 special election to fill the vacancy.⁴

His congressional platform proposes mandatory audits of major federal spending and conditions funding on safeguards against fraud.² He supports expanding the child tax credit, eliminating the estate tax, reducing regulations on domestic production and expanding vocational training.² On health care, he favors price transparency, insurance sales across state lines and greater access to generic and imported medicines.² He also favors requiring congressional approval of major regulations and expanding federal grants for local police.²