Sean Duffy's Son-in-law Divides Trump-backing Republicans In A Wisconsin Congressional Race

WAUSAU, Wis. — Michael Alfonso, nan 26-year-old son-in-law of U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, has an reply for group who opportunity he doesn’t person nan acquisition basal to subordinate Congress arsenic its youngest member.

He points to George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

“They were 26 erstwhile they were first elected to nationalist office,” said Alfonso, a Republican.

Alfonso is trying to thrust support from his father-in-law to triumph his aged House spot successful agrarian bluish Wisconsin. Duffy has many times jetted backmost to nan territory to run and raise money for Alfonso, and he’s tapped $1 cardinal from his aged legislature relationship to support Alfonso’s candidacy.

Alfonso has besides scored nan endorsement of President Trump, who called him a “MAGA warrior.” But to Alfonso’s detractors, including salient Republicans successful nan 7th Congressional District, he’s excessively young and inexperienced for nan job.

“I deliberation it’s insulting to group successful nan 7th that personification who lacks qualifications and immoderate life experiences and immoderate benignant of demonstrable activity skills aliases acquisition is moreover being touted arsenic a candidate,” said Meg Ellefson, a 20-year resident of nan territory who voted for Trump 3 times and now opposes him. “It’s ace aggravating to me.”

The Aug. 11 superior will trial whether Trump’s endorsement of Alfonso, Duffy’s prima powerfulness successful his aged legislature territory and Alfonso’s fundraising advantage will beryllium capable to put nan governmental newcomer complete nan top.

Alfonso leans into Duffy’s ‘Real World’ past

Alfonso is taking a page from his father-in-law’s playbook by participating successful a reality show. He appeared alongside Duffy, a 1997 alum of MTV’s “Real World,” successful nan “Great American Road Trip” video bid that Duffy launched pinch his woman and 11 children connected YouTube successful June.

Duffy was elected to Congress successful 2010, flipping a spot that had been nether Democratic power for 41 years. He served for conscionable nether 9 years earlier leaving politics. He returned past twelvemonth erstwhile Trump tapped him to service arsenic proscription secretary.

Alfonso has leaned into his younker and deficiency of governmental experience.

“I’m a young man pinch nan power of a young man, but I person nan values of personification who’s successful their 60s,” Alfonso said, citing nan truth that he sewage joined to Duffy’s girl Evita Duffy astatine property 22 and became a begetter successful May.

Alfonso graduated from nan University of Wisconsin-Madison successful 2022 and past moved to Florida, wherever he worked for astir a twelvemonth connected a podcast hosted by Trump protagonist Dan Bongino. Prior to that, he worked building jobs while successful college.

Alfonso said that blimpish activistic Charlie Kirk’s assassination inspired him to tally to proceed what he calls a “spiritual conflict for nan psyche of our nation.” Kirk’s Turning Point Action has endorsed Alfonso.

Duffy’s son-in-law faces a erstwhile Iranian hostage and a canine musher

One of Alfonso’s rivals successful nan Republican primary, Kevin Hermening, has heavy ties to nan district.

Hermening is simply a erstwhile Marine who was 1 of 66 Americans held hostage by Iran for 444 days starting successful 1979. Framed photos of nan then-20-year-old Hermening gathering pinch erstwhile Presidents Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter bent connected his agency wall.

He has worked astir 40 years arsenic a financial planner, spent 16 years connected a section schoolhouse committee and was president of nan Marathon County Republican Party for 24 years, helping Duffy and scores of different Republicans triumph local, authorities and national races crossed nan district.

Hermening besides antecedently ran for Congress successful 1986, erstwhile he was nan aforesaid property arsenic Alfonso is now — 26. He mislaid by 25 percent points to Democratic incumbent Rep. David Obey.

“The voters told maine that I wasn’t fresh aliases prepared yet,” Hermening, who’s now 66, said successful an question and reply astatine his Wausau office. “I was sick prepared to person really done nan job, and I’m not saying that because Mr. Alfonso’s successful nan race. It’s a fact.”

Another campaigner successful nan primary, Ashley Furniture executive Jessi Ebben, has nan backing of powerful Republican megadonors. Others moving are Niina Baum, a canine musher, and Don Raihala, an accountant and existent property broker.

Longtime Republicans are publically opposing Alfonso contempt Trump backing

While Alfonso has endorsements from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and 4 of Wisconsin’s six Republican congressmen, section Republican officials successful nan territory person publically questioned nan young candidate’s credentials.

Leaders successful astatine slightest 3 counties person publically spoken retired against Alfonso arsenic being excessively inexperienced for nan occupation and questioned Duffy’s influence.

Iron County Republican Party Chair Tanner Hiller accused Duffy of trying to usage his connections to get his son-in-law elected.

“I deliberation what they’re doing is incorrect morally,” Hiller told Wisconsin Public Radio successful May. “There’s a batch of group that person amended credentials, that cognize this district, that will correspond this territory amended than Michael Alfonso.”

Donations successful mobility arsenic GOP megadonors are divided

Alfonso has benefited from tens of thousands of dollars successful donations from proscription interests, raising much questions fixed that Duffy leads nan national agency that oversees nan nation’s proscription system.

When asked whether he would beryllium beholden to those donors, Alfonso said he answers only to God and nan voters.

“That’s it,” Alfonso said.

But Hermening said Alfonso will consciousness indebted to nan donors.

“I would deliberation that nan group would want to get paid back,” he said.

Duffy, contempt his repeated visits backmost location to nan territory to run and raise money for Alfonso, is focused exclusively connected executing nan president’s agenda, his Transportation Department spokesperson Nathaniel Sizemore said erstwhile asked astir nan donations.

A ace governmental action committee backing Alfonso has received $1 cardinal from Duffy’s aged legislature relationship and different $1 cardinal from Republican megadonor Richard Uihlein, whose shipping and packaging business, Uline, is based successful Wisconsin.

However, Uihlein’s wife, Elizabeth Uihlein, has donated $1 cardinal to different PAC supporting Ebben. Ebben besides has nan backing of Club for Growth and Diane Hendricks, a billionaire builder from Wisconsin who is different GOP megadonor.

Alfonso hopes Trump endorsement overcomes GOP pushback

Alfonso is leaning into nan Trump endorsement, while saying it will beryllium difficult activity and not nan president’s backing that gets him elected. His red, achromatic and bluish run signs say, “Endorsed by President Donald Trump.”

Jack Hoogendyk, chair of nan Republican Party successful Marathon County, which is location to nan district’s largest metropolis of Wausau, said Trump’s endorsement is “solid gold” successful a territory wherever Trump won by 22 percent points 2 years ago.

But Ellefson, nan longtime territory resident, who hosted a blimpish talk power show successful Wausau for 5 years, isn’t truthful judge that Trump’s blessing carries nan aforesaid weight now that it utilized to.

“I personally would for illustration to judge that voters successful nan 7th are intelligent capable and captious thinkers and won’t beryllium swayed by a Trump endorsement,” she said. “I’m going to springiness nan voters in installments for not being that foolish.”

Bauer writes for nan Associated Press.