Republican Michael Alfonso, the son-in-law of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, won Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District on Tuesday, taking the seat once held by his father-in-law.
With nearly all votes counted, Alfonso defeated Democrat Fred Clark, a former state representative, 56% to 44%.
“Michael will be the youngest member of the new Congress and the first member of Congress born this century,” his mother-in-law, Fox News personality Rachel Campos-Duffy, posted. “Come on Generation Z!”
The victory would make Alfonso, 26, the youngest member of Congress on Capitol Hill in January. It would also make his wife Evita – Duffy’s eldest daughter – a congressional spouse.
Alfonso will take over the title from 29-year-old Florida Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost.
Duffy, a cast member on MTV’s “The Real World” who later became a congressman, won his remote Northwoods district during the 2010 Tea Party wave. He ended four decades of Democratic control of the seat, dating to Dave Obe’s first election in 1969.
He served until 2019, resigning before the birth of his ninth child, who has a heart condition.
Alfonso grew up in the 7th Ward and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He worked in construction and produced Dan Bongino’s podcast before launching a campaign in October 2025 to position himself as the face of Zoomer in Wisconsin.
President Trump endorsed him in January, calling him a “MAGA Warrior.”
The road to the Republican nomination is not an easy one. Alfonso’s main main rival is Kevin Hermening, a former Marine who was held hostage in Iran for more than a year. Hermenen went on to serve as chairman of the Marathon County Republican Party for decades and helped elect Duffy himself.
Alfonso defeated the veteran with Trump’s endorsement and $1 million from his father-in-law’s dormant campaign account through a super PAC, according to Wisconsin Public Broadcasting.
According to ProPublica, Delta Air Lines was one of the sponsors of the December fundraiser, and Duffy was billed as a special guest. The Duffy aircraft was unable to leave the gate without support from Duffy Operations. Delta’s PAC also gave $5,000 to Alfonso’s campaign.
The Department of Transportation said Duffy only supported Alfonso in a “personal capacity.”
Alfonso won the August first-of-five primary with about 48 percent of the vote.
Clark, 67, is a former state legislator and forester from Bayfield. He ran as a self-described “independent-minded” Democrat and viewed the race as the district’s first real contest in 15 years.
Alfonso will succeed Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.), who gave up the seat to run for governor but lost to Democrat David Crowley.