MADISON – Paul Wassgren dropped out of the race for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District on Tuesday, citing a desire to grow his involvement in the Catholic Church and to help U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in his run for governor.
In an April 21 press release, Wassgren said he was dropping out of the race to replace Tiffany to “assist Republican efforts throughout Wisconsin and to expand his involvement with the Catholic Church.”
The move comes after he poured $3.2 million of his own money into his campaign, according to recent financial disclosures. He spent about $1.5 million of that in the last quarter of the campaign.
“This election has never been about a position or a paycheck for me – it is about serving Wisconsin families and creating economic opportunities for our state,” he said in the release.
“While I have the resources and message to win this race and be a fierce advocate for our district in Congress, I recognize that a bloody and highly expensive primary will only benefit the Democrats. In light of the Spring election results, I call on all Republicans, including candidates, to prioritize the interests of the Republican Party and the State of Wisconsin.”
Wassgren said he would play an “active role” in supporting Tiffany’s campaign by speaking with groups across the state.
“As our next governor, Tom Tiffany will restore common sense and conservative values to Madison. I will proudly advocate for him during this critical election year for Wisconsin,” he said.
Wassgren, an Ashland-based attorney, entered the race in October. He was one of five Republican candidates vying for the seat. Three Democrats are running.
Still vying for the seat are Republicans Michael Alfonso, Jessi Ebben, Niina Baum and Kevin Hermening, and Democrats Fred Clark, Chris Armstrong and Ginger Murray.
Alfonso is the son-in -law of U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who formerly represented the 7th District. Alfonso previously picked up the endorsement of President Donald Trump.
The party primaries on Aug. 11 will narrow the field to a head-to-head contest on Nov. 3. Tiffany carried the heavily Republican district by 25 points in 2024.
Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on X @SchulteLaura.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Republican Paul Wassgren drops out of 7th Congressional District race
Reporting by Laura Schulte, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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