7th Congressional District Race Filling Up

U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany holds an egg carton as he begins his speech Saturday, May 17, 2025, during the Republican Party of Wisconsin State Convention in Rothschild, Wis. Angela Major/WPR

Voters in Wisconsin’s massive 7th Congressional District will have a large list of candidates to winnow as they decide who will replace outgoing GOP U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany.

As Tiffany pushes on with his campaign for governor, three Republicans, including U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s son-in-law, and two Democrats are vying to be the next Wisconsinite seated in the halls of Congress.

For more than four decades, Wisconsin’s 7th U.S. House district was represented by former Democratic Congressman Dave Obey, who retired in 2011. The district was redrawn that year by Republican state lawmakers, and it’s been a reliably safe GOP seat ever since.

Mordecai Lee, an emeritus political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, told WPR voting patterns in the 7th District have also trended more Republican.

“The divisiveness of Wisconsin politics is very apparent by looking at maps of counties and which ones of them are red, which ones of them are blue and which are purple,” Lee said. In the 7th District, he said, there’s “not a lot of purple” and “not a lot of blue.”

After Obey, Republican Sean Duffy represented the 7th District from 2011 until he resigned from office in 2019, stating he was stepping down to focus on his family. In January, Duffy was confirmed as President Donald Trump’s pick for transportation secretary.

Since Duffy stepped aside, former Republican state legislator Tom Tiffany has carried the 7th District by around 20 point margins in 2020, 2022 and 2024.

But with Tiffany running for governor, the sprawling congressional district is up for grabs, and a host of Republicans and Democrats now say they’re the ones to represent northern Wisconsin in Washington.

GOP Primary: an inlaw, a transplant and business attorney face off

There are three Republicans currently in the running to represent the 7th District.

The most recent entry is Michael Alfonso of Hudson, who is Duffy’s son-in-law. The 25-year-old announced his campaign with a video where he talks about his grandparents fleeing communist Cuba and meeting his wife, Avita Duffy, in high school. Alfonso said he’ll work with Trump to reform government and bring down the cost of energy, food and housing.

“Some say Congress needs older people with more experience, but let’s be honest, they’re the ones who created this mess,” said Alfonso. “We need leaders with strong values, fresh energy and the courage to fight for America’s future.”

Jessi Ebben of Stanley was the first Republican to launch a bid for Tiffany’s seat, but it’s not her first foray into congressional politics. In 2020, she ran an unsuccessful primary race against now 3rd District GOP Congressman Derrick Van Orden. At the time, she lived in Eau Claire, according to state campaign finance records.

Federal campaign finance records show Ebben’s address was still listed as Eau Claire, which is outside of the 7th District, when she registered her campaign on Sept. 19. Her registration has been updated four times since then to include addresses in Middleton and Superior.

In her campaign announcement statement, Ebben described herself as a Trump conservative who understands heartland values and the meaning of “America First.”

“Rep. Tiffany has done a fantastic job, and I look forward to continuing his efforts to secure the southern border, stand with Wisconsin law enforcement, unleash American energy, fight to curb wasteful government spending, and deliver lower costs for Wisconsin families,” said Ebben.

Republican businessman and attorney Paul Wassgren of Ashland entered the 7th district race on Oct. 28. The statement announcing his candidacy describes him as a “proud supporter of President Donald Trump” and a recognized advocate for economic development

“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.

Lee said none of the Republicans in the running should be underestimated.

“You just never know when lightning strikes, who will raise enough money to afford TV advertising, to have an organization, to have campaign offices,” Lee said. “Who will have the right message, who will be endorsed by President Trump?”

Democratic primary: former legislator and businessman want to turn 7th District blue again

Though the current configuration of Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District clearly has favored Republicans over the past 14 years, two Democrats are hoping to turn it blue again.

Democratic businessman Chris Armstrong of New Richmond entered the race on April 9, which was months before Tiffany announced he’d vacate his congressional seat. In a video posted to his campaign’s website, Armstrong summarized his political beliefs as “don’t be a d***.”

He said elected officials need to be kinder, gentler and more compassionate toward their constituents, whether Republican or Democratic.

“We must be faithful stewards of the gifts that we have been given and deliver a future for our children and grandchildren that leaves them a place even better than what we inherited,” said Armstrong. “I’m running for Congress to represent the 7th District of Wisconsin and work together with you to bring us forward again.”

The other Democrat in the running is former Democratic State Rep. Fred Clark, who represented the Baraboo area from 2008 through 2015. Clark also served as a senior forester with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and now resides in Bayfield, according to his federal campaign registration.

In a campaign video, Clark said “these days, when you hear the political news, you just about want to take a shower.” He said “out of touch liberals” give working Democrats a bad name and said his father wouldn’t recognize “the radical conservatives” of today. He said the current state of politics doesn’t reflect Northern Wisconsin.

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned in a career in the woods and in public service, it’s that if we’re going to accomplish anything, we have to work together,” said Clark.

Lee said despite the Republican tilt of the current 7th District, the Democratic Party has an interest in running strong candidates there.

“It’s healthy to have a Democratic primary, because you just never know what the situation will be in early November of 2026 if somebody just sort of breaks out, if somebody catches on fire,” Lee said.

One year from midterms, 7th Congressional District race filling up was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.