The stage is now set for pivotal midterm elections in November. Local voters went to the polls Tuesday, Aug. 11 to whittle down the candidates for the 7th Congressional District seat currently held by Tom Tiffany (R-Minocqua) who is vacating the seat to run for governor.
On the Republican side, voters chose Trump loyalist Michael Alfonso, son-in-law of Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and former producer for conservative podcast host turned deputy FBI director Don Bongino. Besides podcast producer, the 26-year-old Alfonso lists construction as his only other work experience. Bongino, who was also appointed by Trump, left office in January and is once again a political commentator.
Alfonso received 48.9 percent of the vote, followed by Kevin Hermening with 26.6, Jessi Ebben with 15.7 and Niina Baum with 4.8. He will now test the power of Trump’s endorsement against former state legislator Fred Clark of Bayfield. Clark, a former forester and businessman who represented the Baraboo area in the state legislature from 2009 to 2014, has criticized the current Republican-controlled Congress for abandoning its constitutional role as a check on executive power, allowing for what he has called “staggering corruption.”
Clark survived a close race against attorney Ginger Murray and IT consultant Chris Armstrong. He received 37.6 percent of the vote while Murray received 31.8. Armstrong finished just behind with 30.3 percent of the vote.
In the race to succeed Gov. Tony Evers, who is not running for re-election, Tiffany will square off against Milwaukee County Executive and former state legislator David Crowley, who revived his campaign after receiving a late endorsement from Evers. Crowley came from behind to narrowly defeat state legislator Francesca Hong, a Democratic Socialist. More information on Tuesday’s election results, including a look at how Oneida County voters, will be published in our Aug. 19 print edition.
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