MADISON – In a heated primary in Wisconsin’s northernmost congressional district, 26-year-old Republican Michael Alfonso defeated four party rivals on the strength of an endorsement from President Donald Trump.
Alfonso, the old son-in-law of U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, is looking to claim the seat once held by Duffy and held since then by U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is running for governor. Tiffany carried the heavily Republican district by 27 points in 2024.
In a statement, Alfonso celebrated the win.
“I’m running to bring a new generation of young Republicans into our party and fight to preserve the American Dream,” he said. “In Congress, I will work with President Trump to make his tax cuts permanent, lower costs for Wisconsin families, and fight back against the Democrats’ out-of-touch agenda.”
Alfonso lives in Hayward, but grew up in the Wausau area, where he met his wife, Evita Duff-Alfonso. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he studied math.
Four other Republicans ran for the seat: Jessi Ebben, Kevin Hermening, Niina Baum and Don Raihala.
The Democratic vote
The Democratic vote was too close to call. Former Assembly member Frede Clark, Chris Armstrong and Ginger Murray are battling to take on Alfonoso on Nov. 3.
Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on X @SchulteLaura.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Michael Alfonso, son-in-law of Sean Duffy, wins congressional primary
Reporting by Laura Schulte, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Laura Schulte, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
