WISCONSIN — Michael Alfonso, the 26-year-old son-in-law of U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, is running as a Republican candidate for the U.S. House seat in Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District. His campaign has received endorsements from prominent Republican figures and financial support from his father-in-law's former congressional account.

President Donald Trump endorsed Alfonso for Congress, calling him a "MAGA warrior." House Speaker Mike Johnson also endorsed Alfonso, as did four of Wisconsin's six Republican congressmen. Sean Duffy transferred $1 million from his former congressional account to support Alfonso's candidacy and has campaigned for and raised money for him in the district. A super political action committee backing Alfonso also received $1 million from Republican megadonor Richard Uihlein, whose shipping and packaging business, Uline, is based in Wisconsin. Alfonso has also received tens of thousands of dollars in donations from transportation interests.

Some individuals and county-level Republican leaders have voiced opposition to Alfonso's candidacy. Meg Ellefson, a 20-year resident of Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District, opposes Alfonso's bid. She describes herself as a three-time voter for Donald Trump and hosted a conservative talk radio show in Wausau for five years. "I think it's insulting to people in the 7th that someone who lacks qualifications and any life experiences and any kind of demonstrable leadership skills or experience is even being touted as a candidate," Ellefson said. "I'm going to give the voters credit for not being that foolish," she said. "It's super aggravating to me."

Republican leaders in at least three counties in Wisconsin's 7th District have publicly spoken out against Alfonso. Tanner Hiller, the Iron County Republican Party Chair, said, "I think what they're doing is wrong morally." He also stated, "There's a lot of people that have better credentials, that know this district, that will represent this district better than Michael Alfonso." Marathon County, home to Wausau, the largest city in the district, also saw its Republican Party Chair, Jack Hoogendyk, comment on the endorsements. Hoogendyk said Trump's endorsement is "solid gold" in the district, which Trump won by 22 percentage points in the 2024 election.

Alfonso addressed questions about his age and experience, saying, "I'm a young man with the energy of a young man, but I have the values of someone who's in their 60s." He also mentioned, "They were 26 when they were first elected to public office." When asked if he would be beholden to donors, Alfonso responded, "That's it." He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2022 and worked for about one year on a podcast hosted by Dan Bongino in Florida. Alfonso married Evita Duffy, the daughter of Sean Duffy, at age 22 and became a father in May 2026. Sean Duffy, who was appointed U.S. Transportation Secretary by President Donald Trump in 2025, served in the U.S. House for just under nine years after being elected in 2010. He also appeared on MTV's "Real World" in 1997. Alfonso also appeared in the "Great American Road Trip" video series on YouTube, which Sean Duffy launched with his family in June 2026.

Other Republican primary candidates for the Wisconsin 7th Congressional District include Kevin Hermening, Jessi Ebben, Niina Baum, and Don Raihala. Hermening, a former Marine, was held hostage by Iran for 444 days starting in 1979 and has worked as a financial planner for nearly 40 years. He also served on a local school board for 16 years and was chairman of the Marathon County Republican Party for 24 years. Hermening ran for Congress in 1986, losing to Democratic incumbent Rep. David Obey. "The voters told me that I wasn't ready or prepared yet," Hermening said. "I was ill prepared to have actually done the job, and I'm not saying that because Mr. Alfonso's in the race. It's a fact." Hermening added, "I would think that the people would want to get paid back." Ebben is an executive at Ashley Furniture and a PAC supporting her received $1 million from Elizabeth Uihlein. Ebben also has the backing of Club for Growth and Diane Hendricks, a billionaire builder from Wisconsin. Baum is a dog musher, and Raihala is an accountant and real estate broker. The Republican primary is scheduled for August 11, 2026.