Michael Alfonso, the son-in-law of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, is projected to win the Republican nomination in Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District on Tuesday after securing an endorsement from President Donald Trump.
If he wins in the November general election, Alfonso would be among the youngest serving lawmakers at 27 years old.
Alfonso’s win is a triumph for Trump, proving the value of his endorsement in a fierce primary with a number of competitive candidates. The 26-year-old Wisconsin native also battled backlash from some Republicans in the district who questioned his political inexperience and Duffy’s favor.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Alfonso worked in the construction industry during college before taking a job as a producer for the podcast of former Fox News host and Trump ally Dan Bongino, who served as deputy director of the FBI for a year during Trump’s second administration.
Alfonso appeared alongside his father-in-law in the “Great American Road Trip,” according to a trailer for the yet-unaired reality series featuring Duffy. The show is sponsored by several companies that the Transportation Department regulates, including some that also donated to Alfonso’s campaign.
Duffy represented Wisconsin’s 7th District from 2010 to 2019, and has appeared alongside Alfonso at campaign events and helped him secure thousands in donations from transportation lobbyists — drawing accusations of nepotism.
Alfonso’s campaign also received a $1 million donation from Duffy, who used funds from his previous congressional campaign account.
Ahead of the primary, Alfonso also secured endorsements from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), among others.
Motivated by his grandfather’s escape from communist Cuba, Alfonso pitched himself on his campaign website as a politician who will deliver on the MAGA agenda.
The website states Alfonso “was deeply inspired by the courage of Charlie Kirk,” the late right-wing influencer. It also lists a series of issues Alfonso is focused on, including ending “Marxist race and gender indoctrination in classrooms” and opposing funding “billions of dollars into forever wars and foreign aid.”