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EXCLUSIVE — Michael Alfonso, the grandson of Cuban refugees who fled communism and who helped pay his way through college by working in construction and paving roads, launched a Republican congressional bid Wednesday for an open seat in a solidly Republican House district in northern wisconsin.
“I am running for Congress because northern Wisconsin needs to continue to have a representative who truly puts our families, communities and America first,” Alfonso said in a statement first shared with Fox News Digital.
Alfonso, whom his campaign describes as a “pro-Trump conservative,” is the son-in-law of Sean Duffy, who serves as transportation secretary in the presidency. donald trumpThe administration. And he’s running for the congressional seat Duffy held for a decade. It’s the same seat currently held by incumbent Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany, who launched a campaign for governor in 2026 last month.
“I was born and raised with traditional Wisconsin values of faith, community and hard work, and now I am ready to give back to the area that gave so much to me,” said Alfonso, 25.
Republican Michael Alfonso is running for the open GOP-held U.S. House seat in Wisconsin’s 7th congressional district. (Alfonso Congressional Campaign)
He regretted having “watched the American dream continue to slip away from the people who so deserve it.”
And in an accompanying campaign launch video, Alfonso said, “Our district needs to create good-paying jobs, so people can plant their roots, raise their families here, and build a future they’re proud of.”
“Because when young people can’t get ahead, they start hearing the lies of socialism,” he added, beneath photographs of veteran Cuban communist leader Fidel Castro and Cuban Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara that come and go with photographs of progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, along with Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, the front-runner in this year’s New York City mayoral race.
“My grandparents’ decision to flee communist Cuba To guarantee a better life for our family it must not be in vain. “The radical left wants to change this country to be what my grandfather, and many before and after him, fled their home countries to escape,” Alfonso responded in his video. “We cannot let that happen, and I will fight every day to ensure that Wisconsin and this nation continue to give us the freedoms and opportunities my grandparents came here for.”
US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy speaks during a press conference in Washington, DC, Tuesday, August 26, 2025. (Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Alfonso also promised that if elected, “I will work with President Trump to reform the government, keep us safe, and reduce energy, food, and housing costs.”
He House districtwhich includes most of northwestern and north central Wisconsin, is solid red. Trump by 22 points in last year’s presidential election, and Tiffany won reelection to a third term by 27 points.
Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin is campaigning for governor rather than running for re-election in the 2026 election. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Alfonso joins republican primaries field that includes conservative businessman and lawyer Paul Wassgren and public relations professional Jessi Ebben.
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Businessman Chris Armstrong and former state Rep. Fred Clark have launched campaigns for the Democratic congressional nomination in the district.
