Former Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI7) is making it clear whom he would like as his successor in Congress: state Sen. Tom Tiffany. In an appearance in Wausau, Duffy made his endorsement official.
“It’s is a critical time for America. The number of radicals in Congress keeps growing,” Duffy said in a statement Thursday. “Still, Wisconsin families, farmers, and manufacturers can be confident Tom will stand for freedom and liberty and work with the President to stop the creep of socialism. I hope you will all join me in supporting Tom Tiffany at the ballot box on Tuesday, February 18.”
Duffy resigned in October after learning his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, was pregnant with a child with health issues. Duffy is now a contributor to CNN.
The special election primary in the 7th Congressional District is scheduled to coincide with the regularly-scheduled Spring primary on February 18. However, Governor Tony Evers scheduled the special general election in the district for May 12, 2020. The seat is currently vacant.
Tiffany said he was “honored” to have Duffy’s endorsement. “Sean has been a tireless advocate for conservative principles and President Trump’s top ally in Congress,” Tiffany said. “I look forward to taking the torch from Sean and continuing to fight for the families of Northern and Western Wisconsin.”
Duffy’s endorsement follows the endorsements of former Governors Tommy Thompson and Scott Walker, as well as former state Senator and U.S. candidate Leah Vukmir. Tiffany has also been endorsed by Americans for Prosperity and Associated Builders and Contractors.
Tiffany is facing Jason Church, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan and an aide to U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), in the Republican primary.
Church has received the endorsement of former Assembly Speaker John Gard (R-Sun Prairie), an endorsement that has proven controversial with conservatives. Gard represents the Operating Engineers Union, the organization behind the “Scott Holes” advertisements attacking the former governor during the 2018 gubernatorial race.
Gard endorsed Church after the candidate reversed his position on the repeal of the Prevailing Wage Law. A 2015 study by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance found that the Prevailing Wage Law cost state and local taxpayers between nearly $200 and $300 million in 2014.
