Republican Michael Alfonso has made history as the youngest member of Congress, winning Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District at the age of 26. The Associated Press called the race for Alfonso around 10 p.m. on election night, with unofficial results showing him securing approximately 56 percent of the vote against Democratic challenger Clark's 44 percent.
Alfonso's victory means he will enter Congress younger than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was when she was first elected in 2018 at age 29. This title was most recently held by Democrat Maxwell Frost, who was elected in 2022 at age 25. Alfonso, who is married to the daughter of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, will be the first member of Congress born in the 2000s.
Alfonso, who is married to Evita Duffy, daughter of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Rachel Campos-Duffy, was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, who referred to him as a "MAGA Warrior." His father-in-law, who previously represented the same Wisconsin district from 2011 to 2020, also campaigned extensively for him. Alfonso's campaign received a significant boost with a $1 million transfer from Duffy's former congressional campaign account to a political action committee supporting Alfonso's candidacy.
Despite facing scrutiny over his age and political experience, Alfonso centered his campaign on his youth, arguing that younger generations require greater representation in Washington. His platform included proposals to make the former president's tax cuts permanent and to lower healthcare and housing costs. He also advocated for restricting access to girls' bathrooms to biological females. Alfonso and his wife welcomed their first child earlier this year.
Alfonso's win represents a positive outcome for Republicans in Wisconsin, though Democrats did succeed in flipping two other Republican-held seats in the state. Alfonso grew up in northern Wisconsin and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He previously worked in construction and produced content for The Dan Bongino Show.