Building a political dynasty is rarely simple.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s son-in-law is trying to win the same Wisconsin House seat Duffy once represented, but the effort has stirred frustration among local Republicans, with several GOP contenders refusing to step aside.
Duffy, a former congressman and onetime reality TV personality from MTV’s The Real World, has been promoting Michael Alfonso in what a Transportation Department spokesperson described to the Daily Mail as a personal capacity.
Still, Republicans backing Alfonso’s opponents say Duffy played a role in helping the 26-year-old secure President Donald Trump’s endorsement in January. Alfonso is married to Duffy’s daughter, Evita.
Axios reported Wednesday that Duffy and his wife, Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy, frustrated senior White House officials by failing to alert them before urging Trump to back Alfonso.
The report also cited Meg Ellefson, a Wisconsin podcaster and former prominent drive-time radio host, who accused Duffy of “exploiting his Cabinet position and fame to influence an election and hand one of the nation’s offices to his unqualified, 26-year-old son-in-law.”
Ellefson added that she was ‘utterly disgusted by this blatant manipulation of voters’ and is backing one of Alfonso’s primary rivals.
Critics have pointed to campaign contributions Alfonso has received from transportation interests, suggesting those donations were made to lobby Duffy.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s (left) moves to help elect his son-in-law Michael Alfonso (right) to the Wisconsin Congressional seat he once held has ruffled the feathers of some Republicans in the district as Alfonso faces a crowded GOP primary in August
Michael Alfonso (left) poses at President Donald Trump’s recent event in Chippewa Falls with his wife Evita Duffy-Alfonso and their newborn baby, Rosita (right)
Alfonso was also given $1 million from Duffy’s former Congressional campaign fund to aid with his run.
Trump’s endorsement surprisingly didn’t clear the field.
Last week, accountant Don Raihala entered the fray.
Already, besides Alfonso, Jessi Ebben, Kevin Hermening, Niina Threlfall-Baum and Cheryl Ann Runkel were running on the GOP ballot.
Ebben, a public relations professional, tried unsuccessfully to push Alfonso and Hermening off the ballot, arguing to the Wisconsin Elections Commission that a new state law and an old form those candidates used to garner signatures invalidated their campaigns, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.
Earlier this week, the Wisconsin Election Commission rejected Ebben’s challenge.
The seat is open because its current occupant, Republican Representative Tom Tiffany, is running for Wisconsin governor with Trump’s blessing.
Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District is a safe GOP seat, leaning +11 Republican, according to the Cook Political Report.
The Duffy clan on the White House’s South Lawn, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy (fourth from right) posing alongside daughter Evita (third from right) and her husband, Wisconsin Congressional hopeful Michael Alfonso (right)
That means whichever Republican wins the August 11 primary almost certainly holds the seat for the party in November.
Trump’s visit to a nearby district last week renewed interest in the Wisconsin races.
Alfonso was on hand at the President’s event alongside his wife, Evita, and the couple’s newborn baby, Rosita.
‘Little Rosita handled the campaign hustle like a pro!’ Alfonso wrote in a social media post.
The couple clearly has a personal relationship with Trump too.
The President, along with First Lady Melania Trump, made an appearance at Alfonso and Evita’s 2022 wedding, which was held at Trump’s Bedminster, New Jersey golf resort.
In his endorsement post in January, Trump called Alfonso a ‘young STAR’ and a ‘MAGA warrior.’
Alfonso’s spokesperson, Max Docksey, did highlight the Trump endorsement in a statement to the Daily Mail, but argued the candidate’s support was much broader than that.
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First Lady Melania Trump (left) and President Donald Trump (center right) made an appearance at Michael Alfonso (center left) and Evita Duffy-Alfonso’s (right) 2022 wedding, which was held at Trump’s Bedminster, New Jersey golf club
‘He has earned support from conservative leaders, including a majority of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation, and from grassroots supporters across the district and country,’ Docksey said. ‘Every decision he makes will be driven by one priority: fighting to put the people of Wisconsin’s 7th District first.’
Sizemore, the Transportation spokesperson, said Duffy follows the rules before attending any campaign or fundraising events on behalf of his son-in-law.
‘Before attending any event, career ethics officials at USDOT screen these events, review the hosts, advise on attendees, and provide recommendations that Secretary Duffy follows,’ Sizemore told the Daily Mail. ‘These processes and rules have existed for decades.’
‘Whether it’s installing a brand-new air traffic control system, transforming Penn Station, kicking dangerous truck drivers off the roads, or making cars more affordable again, Secretary Duffy uses the power of DOT to execute on the President’s ambitious transportation agenda. That’s it,’ Sizemore added.
