Michael Alfonso, the 26-year-old son-in-law of U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, won the Republican primary Tuesday for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, securing the nomination in a bruising contest for an open seat in the solidly Republican northern Wisconsin district.
The Associated Press called the race for Alfonso at 9:16 p.m. His closest challenger was Kevin Hermening, a former U.S. Marine and Mosinee School Board president. Other Republicans in the field included Jessi Ebben, Donald Raihala and Niina Threlfall-Baum.
Alfonso, a University of Wisconsin-Madison mathematics graduate who has worked in construction and as a podcast producer, received President Donald Trump’s endorsement and was backed by his father-in-law, who represented the district from 2011 to 2019. If elected in November, Alfonso would be among the youngest members of Congress.
The primary was contentious, with opponents raising questions about Alfonso’s limited political experience, family connections and a period of Florida residency. Alfonso campaigned as a Trump-aligned conservative focused on immigration, agriculture, pro-life policies and reducing congressional corruption.
Incumbent Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany is not seeking reelection and is instead running for governor, leaving the seat open. The mostly rural district has been held by Republicans since 2011 and heavily favors the GOP in the general election.
