Michael Alfonso, 25, has an active voter registration in Florida, where he voted in 2024, an inactive Madison record, and an active record at his in-laws’ home in Hayward, though he has never voted there.
If a son-in-law qualifies for the term “nepo-baby,” then voters up north have the option of electing their first one to congress, based on President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Michael Alfonso, the 25-year-old son-in-law of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Working against Alfonso, however, isn’t simply his youth and inexperience but also his voting history. Reports show he has an active voter record in Florida and cast a ballot there in the 2024 presidential election. He also reportedly has an inactive registration in Madison from his college days and an active registration record in Hayward, tied to the home of his wife’s parents, though he has never voted there.
Despite the lack of active residency, employment, or political activity in the 7th Congressional District, Trump endorsed Alfonso in a social media post Tuesday night, which Alfonso quickly shared.
“It is my greatest honor to accept this endorsement from President Donald J. Trump. He is truly the greatest president of all time, and I pledge to be a steadfast MAGA warrior for the people of Wisconsin’s 7th District,” Alfonso wrote.
The conservative site Wisconsin Right Now has run a series of social media posts questioning Alfonso’s qualifications compared to other Republicans seeking the chance to succeed US Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is running for governor. The posts point out his lack of job experience beyond some construction work and as a podcast producer.
The site’s reporting shows Alfonso’s campaign has already received more than $1 million in direct mail and other advertising from a political action committee with an address in Alabama. The PAC’s website is a single page with its logo and nothing else.
Wisconsin Right Now says a review of voting and property records show Alfonso is registered to vote at a home owned by his in-laws, Sean and Rachel Campos Duffy, but he has not voted there. His name and birthdate also match a voter registration file in Madison, where Alfonso had been a student and where he met his wife, Evita Duffy Alfonso.
Alfonso also has an active registration in Ocean Breeze, Florida, and voted there in November 2024.
Other candidates expected to seek the Republican nomination in the 7th Congressional District are Kevin Hermening, Jessi Ebben, and Paul Wassgren.
Democratic candidates including former Rep. Fred Clark, Chris Armstrong, and Ginger Murray are hoping to win back a district held for nearly 40 years by former US Rep. Dave Obey. The party primary elections will be held Aug. 11.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version said “son” instead of “son-in-law” in the opening of the story.
