WAUSAU, Wis. – Despite encouragement from ex-President Donald Trump, Wausau attorney Sean Duffy said he will not run for governor. The announcement was a setback for Trump, who, although not in office, has been trying to handpick loyalists for state offices around the country. Sean, a Republican, served in Congress from northern Wisconsin from 2002 to 2019. He resigned abruptly when his wife gave birth to a child, their ninth, with a serious heart defect. Duffy had been widely considered a likely GOP challenger to Governor Tiny Evers, a Democrat. His departue leaves former Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch the only high-profile Republican in the running. On Jay Weber’s conservative talk radio show out of Milwaukee, Duffy also ruled out seeking the U.S. Senate seat held by fellow Republican Ron Johnson.
Duffy. Saint Mary’s University grad. Law degree from William Mitchell. Age 50.
Duffy profile
Duffy was born in the Up North timber town of Hayward. At age 5 he started log-rolling. At 13 he set speed-climbing records up 60-foot and 90-foot poles. His jobs have included color commentary on ESPN. His worst moment politically was at a 2011 town hall. Asked about a proposed freeze on state employee salaries and whether he would be willing to cut his own salary as a member of Congress, Duffy said he was “struggling” to get by. His salary was $174,000 – almost triple the average in Wisconsin. That made him the butt of national political punditry. Conservatives, however, gave him mostly high marks. The American Conservative Union gave Duffy a 78% evaluation in 2017 and the also conservative Americans for Prosperity gave him an 88% in 2019. Somewhere along the line he attracted the attention of Trump, who has an affinity for photogenic media people. Remember Duffy’s ESPN stint.