Michael Alfonso Wins Wisconsin 7th Congressional District GOP Primary, Sets November Matchup With Fred Clark

Wisconsin voters headed to the polls Tuesday for the state’s partisan primary election, narrowing down matchups for the November general election, including the open seat in Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District.

“ELECTION RESULTS Tiffany advances in open race for Wisconsin governor”

WSAW

In that race, Michael Alfonso—described as the son-in-law of U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy—won the Republican nomination, with the Associated Press calling the race at 9:16 p.m. and later projecting the result as Alfonso’s win.

CBS News

Alfonso, a 26-year-old political newcomer, secured 48% of the vote, and the Associated Press called the race with 40% of ballots counted, as he prepared to face the Democratic nominee Fred Clark in November.

The primary outcome also set up other Wisconsin House contests, with CBS News projecting that Democrats picked candidates in the 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts and that the 3rd District would be a rematch between Rebecca Cooke and Rep. Derrick Van Orden.

In the same Tuesday primary cycle, Tom Tiffany won the Republican gubernatorial primary, putting him one step closer to succeeding outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

Alfonso’s GOP primary win came with a heavy emphasis on President Donald Trump’s support, and WPR said the Trump-endorsed son-in-law of Sean Duffy would represent the GOP on the November ballot.

Speaking about his win, Alfonso pointed to the district’s voting record and said, “This district voted for President Trump three times, and very clearly, that’s what the voters want in this district,” while WPR reported he felt Republican primary voters supported him because of his values.

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Opponents in the crowded GOP field criticized Alfonso’s lack of career and political experience and attacked him as a “nepo baby,” and WPR said he faced allegations of nepotism and questions about his recent Florida residency.

WisPolitics reported that Alfonso emerged victorious from a five-way primary against candidates including Kevin Hermening, Jessi Ebben, Niina Baum, and Don Raihala, and it said he was boosted by an endorsement from President Donald Trump and millions in outside spending.

The Washington Examiner also tied the campaign to Trump’s endorsement, noting that Alfonso was “powered by President Donald Trump’s endorsement” as the Associated Press called the race with 40% of ballots counted.

With Alfonso now set to advance to the November general election, the CBS News projection described the 7th Congressional District as a solid-red seat where the Democratic primary remained unsettled.

“Duffy's son-in-law Michael Alfonso won the Republican primary”

CBS News

CBS News projected that the general election in the 3rd Congressional District would be a rematch between Democrat Rebecca Cooke and Republican incumbent Rep. Derrick Van Orden, after Cooke beat progressive Emily Berge to win the Democratic nomination.

In the 7th District, CBS News said Alfonso would face the Democratic nominee Fred Clark, while WSAW reported that the Associated Press called the race for Clark last Tuesday night with Clark receiving 37% of the vote.

The Hill reported that Rep. Tom Tiffany declined to run for another term and instead opted to run for governor, leaving the 7th District seat open and making Alfonso’s candidacy a test of family ties and Trump backing.

As the primaries shaped the fall map, CBS News also said the 1st Congressional District would feature Democrat Mitchell Berman against incumbent GOP Rep. Bryan Steil, with Berman having defeated two other Democratic opponents in the Tuesday primary.