WASHINGTON – Ashland attorney Paul Wassgren on Tuesday announced a campaign for the congressional seat being vacated by Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a move that sets up a GOP primary for the red northwestern Wisconsin district.
Wassgren, 49, said he was kickstarting his campaign with a $1 million personal investment.
His entrance into the race sets up a Republican primary. Jessi Ebben, who previously ran for the western 3rd Congressional District, jumped into the wide-open 7th Congressional District race following Tiffany’s decision in September to run for governor. Michael Alfonso, the 25-year-old son-in-law of former congressman and current U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, is also considering a run.
In a statement on Oct. 28, Wassgren noted his private law practice’s business focus and highlighted his work on qualified opportunity zones, which encourage investment in low-income communities. He referred to himself as a “proud supporter of President Donald Trump” and said his campaign will focus, in part, on creating economic opportunity and “fighting back against lawfare.”
“I’m running for Congress because we need more successful businessmen like Donald Trump and Ron Johnson to shake up the status quo and revitalize our communities,” Wassgren said in his announcement.
The GOP primary for the 7th District is sure to determine the region’s next member of Congress; Tiffany won each of his reelection bids by no fewer than 20 points.
Still, two Democrats, Christopher Armstrong Campbell and former Democratic state Rep. Fred Clark, are also in the race for the seat.
Several Republican state Legislature also haven’t ruled out runs, though GOP State Senate President Mary Felzkowski told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel this month she would not launch a campaign for Tiffany’s seat.
Wassgren, for his part, said he is a fifth generation Ashland resident. He was previously a licensed stock and bond broker and eventually became a corporate attorney, working for a number of national law firms.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ashland Attorney Paul Wassgren enters race for 7th Congressional District, setting up a GOP primary
Reporting by Lawrence Andrea, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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