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Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District special election (February 18, 2020 Republican primary)

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Tom Tiffany defeated Jason Church in the Republican primary election for Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District on February 18, 2020. Tiffany received 57.5% of the vote to Church's 42.5%. Tiffany advanced to the district's special general election on May 12. The special election was called to fill the vacancy left by Sean Duffy's (R) September 2019 resignation.

Church and Tiffany aligned on most policy positions.[1] The candidates highlighted their different backgrounds rather than differences in policy.[2] Church described himself as a "combat veteran looking to continue my service on behalf of the people of Wisconsin's 7th district," and Tiffany, a state senator, described himself as "a proven conservative for Wisconsin."[3][4]

U.S. Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), U.S. Reps. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), and organizations including SEAL PAC and Combat Veterans for Congress endorsed Church. Duffy, U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), former Wisconsin Govs. Scott Walker (R) and Tommy Thompson (R), and organizations including the Club for Growth PAC and Americans for Prosperity Action endorsed Tiffany. To view a full list of endorsements, click here.

Michael Opela Sr. was disqualified from the Republican primary and ran as a write-in candidate.[5][6] As of 9:55 p.m. CST on February 18, write-in votes had not been reported.

Duffy, who was first elected in 2010, won his last election in 2018 by a margin of about 22 percentage points.

There were 10 special elections called during the 116th Congress. Eight were called for seats in the U.S. House, and two for seats in the U.S. Senate. From the 113th Congress to the 115th Congress, 40 special elections were held. For more data on historical congressional special elections, click here.

Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District includes Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Clark, Douglas, Florence, Forest, Iron, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Oneida, Polk, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Taylor, Vilas, and Washburn counties. Portions of Chippewa, Jackson, Juneau, Monroe, and Wood counties are also in the district.[7]

Democratic Party For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
Grey.png For more information about the general election, click here.

Click here for coverage of the regularly scheduled election in Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District.

Candidates and election results

Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Tom Tiffany
Tom Tiffany
 
57.4
 
43,714
Image of Jason Church
Jason Church
 
42.5
 
32,339
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Michael Opela Sr. (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
18
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.0
 
29

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 76,100
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Candidate profiles

See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages

Profiles are included for candidates who made the Republican primary ballot.

Jason Church

Image of Jason Church

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Church graduated from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse with a degree in political science. He served in the U.S. Army and was deployed to Afghanistan, where he was injured in an IED explosion. After medically retiring from the Army, Church completed an M.A. in security studies at Georgetown University and a J.D. at Wisconsin Law School. He worked as an aide to U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.).


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Church said he was an early supporter of President Donald Trump, stating that he had “been with President Trump since day one.” 

Church described himself as a “combat veteran looking to continue my service on behalf of the people of Wisconsin's 7th district.” 

Church said he was "an outsider - like President Donald J. Trump - someone who is not a career politician who will always put Wisconsinites over political games."

Show sources

Sources: WSAW, "Few policy differences at Republican primary debate for 7th Congressional seat," December 12, 2019  Twitter, “Jason Church,” accessed December 6, 2019  Facebook, "Jason Church on February 8, 2020," accessed February 10, 2020; Jason Church 2020 campaign website, “About Jason,” accessed December 5, 2019 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “Combat veteran Jason Church enters race for 7th Congressional District, setting up GOP primary against Tom Tiffany,” September 24, 2019

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 in 2020.

Tom Tiffany

Image of Tom Tiffany

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

Wisconsin State Senate (Assumed office: 2013)

Wisconsin State Assembly (2011-2013)

Biography:  Tiffany attended the University of Wisconsin–River Falls, where he completed a degree in agricultural economics. He owned and operated a river cruise company and worked as a dam tender. Tiffany was a town supervisor in Little Rice, Wisconsin, and served on the Oneida County Economic Development Board of Directors.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Tiffany described himself as "a proven conservative for Wisconsin."

Tiffany said he would work for deregulation. He stated, "We’ve got plenty of laws. We do not need more laws. ... Giving more power to the swamp in Washington stifles and strangles opportunity for Americans."

Tiffany said, "I'm the type of person who will provide the leadership to get things done to protect our freedoms here in Wisconsin."

Show sources

Sources: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Tom Tiffany aligns himself with Trump as he runs to replace outgoing Congressman Sean Duffy," September 10, 2019 WAOW, "One-on-one with Tom Tiffany," February 10, 2020; Tom Tiffany 2020 campaign website, "Tom Tiffany for U.S. Congress," accessed December 6, 2019 

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 in 2020.

Endorsements

Do you know of an official or organization that endorsed a candidate in this race? Let Ballotpedia know by email at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Republican primary endorsements
Endorsement Church Tiffany
Elected officials
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)[8] ✔
U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)[9] ✔
U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.)[10] ✔
U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas)[11] ✔
U.S. Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.)[12] ✔
U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.)[13] ✔
Wisconsin State Rep. Shannon Zimmerman (R-River Falls)[14] ✔
Wisconsin State Rep. Gae Magnafici (R-Dresser)[14] ✔
Wisconsin State Rep. Rob Stafsholt (R-New Richmond)[14] ✔
Wisconsin State Rep. Romaine Quinn (R-Barron)[14] ✔
Mosinee Mayor Brent Jacobson[15] ✔
Florence County Sheriff Dan Miller[16] ✔
Forest County Sheriff John Dennee[16] ✔
Langlade County Sheriff Mark Westen[16] ✔
Lincoln County Sheriff Ken Schneider[16] ✔
Marathon County Sheriff Scott Parks[16] ✔
Oneida County Sheriff Grady Hartman[16] ✔
Polk County Sheriff Brent Waak[16] ✔
Price County Sheriff Brian Schmidt[16] ✔
Vilas County Sheriff Joe Fath[16] ✔
Individuals
Former U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.)[17] ✔
Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R)[18] ✔
Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R)[19] ✔
Former Wisconsin State Sen. Leah Vukmir (R)[20] ✔
Former Wisconsin State Sen. Terry Moulton (R)[21] ✔
Former Washburn County Sheriff Terry Dryden[16] ✔
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk[22] ✔
Organizations
SEAL PAC[23] ✔
Combat Veterans for Congress[24] ✔
New Politics[25] ✔
Guardian Fund[26] ✔
National Defense PAC[27] ✔
Club for Growth PAC[28] ✔
Americans for Prosperity Action[29] ✔
United States Chamber of Commerce[30] ✔
Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin[31] ✔
Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association[32] ✔
Wisconsin Family Action PAC[33] ✔
Wisconsin Right to Life[34][35] ✔[36] ✔
National Rifle Association[37] ✔
Wisconsin Bear Hunters' Association[38] ✔

Timeline

  • February 14, 2020: WisPolitics.com reported that the Americans 4 Security PAC spent $135,000 on a negative TV ad against Tiffany, and Club for Growth spent around $158,000 on a negative TV ad against Church and around $14,000 on a related radio ad buy.[39]
  • February 6, 2020: Church and Tiffany participated in a debate hosted by Wisconsin Public Radio.[2]

Campaign themes

The following campaign themes and policy positions were found on candidates' campaign websites.

Republican Party Jason Church

“

Jason Church’s Policy Positions

  • Work With and Support President Trump
I have been with President Trump since the beginning. I will work with him to keep the American economy strong and the homeland safe.
  • Strengthen Our Military
A priority of the Federal Government is the defense of our nation. The U.S. must maintain the world’s strongest military, and continue to fund, equip, and train the world’s preeminent fighting force. We no longer live in a unipolar world, and aggressiveness from countries such as China and Russia are a threat to the American way of life. We must invest in new technologies and power projection platforms to blunt this new assault.
  • Cut Taxes and Reduce Spending
Tax relief is necessary for the American economy to grow. More money in people’s pockets (whether at home, or in business) is critical for economic growth. Reforming current spending levels is necessary to ensure the health of our economy in the future.
  • Stop Illegal Immigration
My fiancé and I experience our immigration system’s flaws on a daily basis. A nation does not exist without borders and enforcing the law is paramount. America needs a wall to prohibit illegal crossings and secure the border. Congress must help President Trump in passing comprehensive immigration reform and remove incentives for illegal immigration. Abolishing sanctuary cities must be a priority as they limit the federal government from enforcing the law and incentivizes more illegal crossings.
  • Work for Our Farmers
Agriculture is the heart of Wisconsin and our district. I will support relief for farmers, making sure that our agreements open foreign markets to high quality American products.
  • Get Access to Affordable Healthcare
Patients must become the center of healthcare. Government cannot effectively administer this system. Witnessing firsthand the problems of the VA, I do not want this system extrapolated out on America. I would fight against the Medicare for All initiatives Democrats are pushing and support the reform of Medicare and Medicaid to remove the waste, fraud, and abuse within the system. We need common sense solutions such as a system that puts patients first, increases competition, allows for consumers to purchase health insurance across state lines, and expands health savings accounts.
  • Fight for Our Veterans
As a veteran, I have seen firsthand the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform. I will continue to fight for much needed reforms at the VA to ensure veterans get the housing, health care, and mental health support they need.
  • Protect Our Right to Bear Arms
The 2nd Amendment was created to fight against a tyrannical government, not just the simple possession of firearms. I would fight against any attempts to limit one’s right to own a gun.
  • Regulatory Reform
Federal overreach prohibits businesses and individuals from reinvesting their capital back into their respective priorities. Instead of using capital for growth, the federal government’s flagrant overreach in areas such as the environment and the workplace, increase compliance costs. This only benefits the lawyers, at the expense of American growth.
  • Defend the Unborn
I am pro-life and oppose taxpayer support of Planned Parenthood. Democrat’s current platform of cruelty is a slippery slope that continues to lessen the sanctity of life and must be adamantly opposed.
  • Finish Fair Trade Agreements
Trade is essential for American businesses, farmers, and consumers. Congress must pass the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. We must also support negotiations with other nations, offering a counterweight to the debt-trap diplomacy of China.
  • Implement Congressional Term Limits
Term limits force Congress to make hard decisions without calculating the long-term political repercussions to a representative or senator’s career.[52]
 ”
—Jason Church[53]

Republican Party Tom Tiffany

“

STANDING WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP

Tom was proud to stand with Wisconsin and vote to elect Donald Trump as President of the United States in 2016. In Congress, Tom will work with President Trump to keep America great and ensure prosperity and freedom for future generations.

REDUCING THE DEFICIT, CUTTING SPENDING

Just like Wisconsin families must balance their budgets, so must America. Tom believes that federal spending is out of control. Tom has proven he will take balancing budgets seriously. In Wisconsin, Tom and his colleagues took a $3.6 billion deficit and turned it into balanced budgets, $13 billion in tax cuts, and the largest rainy day fund in state history!

Tom believes that we need to take an underlying look at the whole federal budget – how our government operates and where we can find massive, systemic savings for the taxpayer. Tom supports repealing the Davis-Bacon law that increases the costs of everyday federal building projects.

BUILDING A PRO-JOBS ECONOMY

Tom and his wife Chris were the proud owners of an excursion business, Wilderness Cruises, on the Willow Flowage for two decades. He used that small business experience to help more Wisconsinites find work than ever before in our state's history. In Congress, Tom will work with President Trump to ensure America keeps good, family-supporting jobs.

PROTECTING THE UNBORN

As the dad of three daughters, Tom has seen the miracle of life firsthand. He is proud to be pro-life and to support President Trump as he works to protect the unborn. A proven fighter for life, Tom has defunded Planned Parenthood at the state level and will work in Congress, so no taxpayers' dollars go to support abortions.

DRAINING THE SWAMP

Tom has always fought for the rights of property owners. In Congress, he'll fight for your property rights against the bureaucrats in the swamp. He'll work to give more power to the people by cutting red tape.

Tom supports initiatives like the SWAMP Act, which would take federal agencies and move them right into the heart of the country. Lowering costs and moving our agencies away from the swamp to where the problem solvers are – real America. Tom has firsthand experience at the state level, where he successfully relocated the Division of Forestry in the Department of Natural Resources from Madison to Northern Wisconsin.

SECURING OUR SOUTHERN BORDER

Tom stands with President Trump as he works to secure our border to stop the inflow of drugs and human trafficking into our country. First and foremost, America needs to build a wall to secure our southern border. Then, there can be a broader discussion about ending chain migration and a merit-based immigration process. Tom does not support amnesty.

DEFENDING THE 2ND AMENDMENT

A proud National Rifle Association lifetime member with an A+ rating, Tom helped pass both concealed carry and Castle Doctrine in his first term. When Governor Evers proposed restricting people's 2nd Amendment rights, Tom stepped forward and stopped Evers' gun-grabbing efforts.

In Congress, Tom will stop attacks on the 2nd Amendment and champion your ability to fight for freedom and defend yourself against tyranny.

CHAMPIONING AGRICULTURE

Tom grew up on a 50-cow dairy farm. With his seven brothers and sisters, they learned about hard work from their mom and dad on the farm. Tom will take his work ethic, learned on the farm, to Washington to champion free and fair trade deals. He'll work so there are fewer government regulations so all Wisconsin farms can succeed.

SUPPORTING RURAL VETERANS

Because of our veterans, our children and grandchildren's futures are safe. Nothing makes Tom more proud than standing up, putting his hand over his heart, and thinking of his gratitude for those who are serving and have served to protect the red, white, and blue. That's why he's worked to make Wisconsin the best state in the nation for veterans to come back to after they serve.

In Congress, Tom will make sure veterans have the support they need to find quality jobs and health care in our rural communities.

CONTINUING ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

While socialists like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez fight for the Green New Deal that would bankrupt Wisconsin small businesses and manufacturers, Tom knows the answer for the future is homegrown American energy. One of the greatest things we've done as a nation is becoming energy independent. Energy independence provides job security, economic security, and national security. Overregulation puts this all at risk.

Tom promotes energy efficiency whenever possible. He believes alternative sources must be able to stand on their own in the marketplace without government interference or assistance.

MAKING HEALTH CARE AFFORDABLE

While socialists in the House want to enact Medicare for all that would bankrupt taxpayers and result in Medicare for none, Tom knows there's a better way. With more choice, competition, and transparency, Americans will get better access to health care at lower costs.

Tom supports President Trump's efforts to hold drug companies accountable with greater transparency. This will lead to lower prices on prescription drugs and health care in general. By inserting competition into health care, we can lower costs. Providers will have to compete for patients' business, resulting in higher quality and lower costs.

ENCOURAGING A CONVENTION OF STATES

Tom is a firm believer in the 10th Amendment. Issues not prescribed to the government belong to the states. He also supports a Convention of States that would impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, place term limits on entrenched career politicians, and reassert states' rights. Tom authored the Convention of State's resolution in Wisconsin and believes the states need to help take power back from the swamp.

WORKING FOR FREE AND FAIR TRADE

With his deep roots in Wisconsin, Tom knows our farmers and manufacturers need better deals and access to more markets so they can succeed for future generations. In the House of Representatives, Tom will support better trade deals that will ultimately result in fewer tariffs and fairer trade. President Trump's USMCA deal is an excellent first step.

DELISTING THE GRAY WOLF

For years, Tom has been one of the leading voices in Wisconsin working to have the federal government remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list. Wisconsin should be able to manage its wolf population on its own. The exploding wolf population hurts farmers' bottom lines, harms tourism, and reduces real estate values. At the same time, the federal government is denying the science behind delisting and watches our farms struggle.

In 2019, researchers estimated wolves killed more deer than hunters during the nine-day gun-deer harvest in single counties. Congress must act not only to help our farmers but also to help preserve our sporting heritage — one of Wisconsin's longest-standing family traditions for supporting one's family. [52]

”
—Tom Tiffany[54]

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Republican Party Jason Church

Support

"One Day" – Church for Wisconsin, January 21, 2020
"Win This Fight" – Church for Wisconsin, January 14, 2020
"Tough Decisions" – Church for Wisconsin, January 7, 2020
"Do what's Right" – Church for Wisconsin, November 13, 2019
"Jason Church: Lace Up Your Boots" – Church for Wisconsin, September 24, 2019

Republican Party Tom Tiffany

Support

"Dam Man" – Tiffany for Wisconsin, January 28, 2020
"Manure" – Tiffany for Wisconsin, January 10, 2020


Satellite group ads

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

If you are aware of polls conducted in this race, please email us.

Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Jason Church Republican Party $810,840 $810,840 $0 As of December 31, 2020
Michael Opela Sr. Republican Party $6,971 $6,714 $257 As of June 30, 2020
Tom Tiffany Republican Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.


Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[55][56][57]

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

  • Americans 4 Security PAC
    • Roll Call reported on February 11, 2020, that the Americans 4 Security PAC spent $294,000 supporting Church.[58]
    • WisPolitics.com reported on February 14, 2020, that the Americans 4 Security PAC spent $135,000 on a negative ad against Tiffany.[39]
  • Club for Growth
    • Club for Growth spent $130,000 on airtime for an ad supporting Tiffany that was released on January 28, 2020.[41]
    • WisPolitics.com reported on February 14, 2020, that Club for Growth spent around $158,000 on a negative TV ad against Church and around $14,000 on a related radio ad buy.[39]
  • WSAW reported on February 6, 2020, that House Freedom Action spent around $214,000 supporting Tiffany.[59]


Interviews and questionnaires

Click the links below to view candidates' responses to questionnaires and to see interviews.

Debates and forums

Know of a debate or forum we're missing? Email us.

February 6, 2020

Church and Tiffany participated in a debate hosted by Wisconsin Public Radio.

Audio:

Coverage:

December 12, 2019

Church and Tiffany participated in a debate in Wausau hosted by Kevin Nicholson's No Better Friend Corp.

Video:

Coverage:

Social media

Twitter accounts

Facebook accounts

Click the icons below to visit the candidates' Facebook pages.

Republican Party Jason Church Facebook

Republican Party Tom Tiffany Facebook

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Twenty-three of 72 Wisconsin counties—32 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Adams County, Wisconsin 21.92% 8.73% 18.35%
Buffalo County, Wisconsin 21.82% 2.93% 14.66%
Columbia County, Wisconsin 2.14% 13.58% 15.26%
Crawford County, Wisconsin 5.40% 19.98% 27.03%
Door County, Wisconsin 3.22% 6.99% 17.33%
Dunn County, Wisconsin 11.09% 4.97% 14.95%
Forest County, Wisconsin 26.58% 5.44% 15.16%
Grant County, Wisconsin 9.43% 13.77% 23.88%
Jackson County, Wisconsin 11.74% 15.01% 21.84%
Juneau County, Wisconsin 26.05% 7.03% 9.00%
Kenosha County, Wisconsin 0.31% 12.23% 18.06%
Lafayette County, Wisconsin 8.99% 15.37% 22.32%
Lincoln County, Wisconsin 20.60% 0.71% 12.48%
Marquette County, Wisconsin 24.09% 0.27% 5.28%
Pepin County, Wisconsin 23.08% 2.22% 12.89%
Price County, Wisconsin 25.00% 0.04% 13.40%
Racine County, Wisconsin 4.28% 3.54% 7.41%
Richland County, Wisconsin 5.50% 16.13% 20.63%
Sauk County, Wisconsin 0.35% 18.47% 23.04%
Sawyer County, Wisconsin 18.41% 0.49% 6.23%
Trempealeau County, Wisconsin 12.64% 14.08% 26.39%
Vernon County, Wisconsin 4.43% 14.73% 22.00%
Winnebago County, Wisconsin 7.34% 3.73% 11.66%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Wisconsin with 47.2 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 46.5 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Wisconsin cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 76.7 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Wisconsin supported Republicans slightly more than Democratic candidates, 50.0 to 46.7 percent. The state, however, favored Democrats in every presidential election from 2000 to 2012 before voting for Trump in 2016.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state Assembly districts in Wisconsin. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[60][61]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 43 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 34.1 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 36 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 34.6 points. Clinton won three districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 56 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 12.1 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 63 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 19.4 points. Trump won two districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


District history

2018

See also: Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7

Incumbent Sean Duffy defeated Margaret Engebretson and Ken Driessen in the general election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Sean Duffy
Sean Duffy (R)
 
60.1
 
194,061
Image of Margaret Engebretson
Margaret Engebretson (D) Candidate Connection
 
38.5
 
124,307
Image of Ken Driessen
Ken Driessen (Direct Participatory Democracy Party)
 
1.4
 
4,416
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.0
 
3

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 322,787
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7

Margaret Engebretson defeated Brian Ewert in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 on August 14, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Margaret Engebretson
Margaret Engebretson Candidate Connection
 
57.3
 
27,194
Image of Brian Ewert
Brian Ewert
 
42.7
 
20,285

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 47,479
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7

Incumbent Sean Duffy advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 on August 14, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Sean Duffy
Sean Duffy
 
100.0
 
60,708

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 60,708
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Sean Duffy (R) defeated Mary Hoeft (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Duffy defeated Donald Raihala in the Republican primary, while Hoeft defeated Joel Lewis to win the Democratic nomination. The primary elections took place on August 9, 2016.[62][63]

U.S. House, Wisconsin District 7 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngSean Duffy Incumbent 61.7% 223,418
     Democratic Mary Hoeft 38.3% 138,643
Total Votes 362,061
Source: Wisconsin Elections Commission


U.S. House, Wisconsin District 7 Republican Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngSean Duffy Incumbent 89.5% 29,501
Donald Raihala 10.5% 3,456
Total Votes 32,957
Source: Wisconsin Elections and Ethics Commission
U.S. House, Wisconsin District 7 Democratic Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngMary Hoeft 80.7% 27,289
Joel Lewis 19.3% 6,531
Total Votes 33,820
Source: Wisconsin Elections and Ethics Commission

2014

See also: Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District elections, 2014
U.S. House, Wisconsin District 7 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngSean Duffy Incumbent 59.3% 169,891
     Democratic Kelly Westlund 39.4% 112,949
     Green Lawrence Dale 1.3% 3,686
     Independent Rob Taylor - Write-in 0% 30
     Republican John Schiess - Write-in 0% 5
     N/A Scattering 0% 42
Total Votes 286,603
Source: Wisconsin Government Accountability Board
U.S. House, Wisconsin District 7 Republican Primary, 2014
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngSean Duffy Incumbent 87.6% 25,707
Don Raihala 12.3% 3,607
John Schiess (write-in) 0% 2
Scattering 0.1% 20
Total Votes 29,336
Source: Wisconsin Government Accountability Board

2012

See also: Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District elections, 2012
U.S. House, Wisconsin District 7 General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Pat Kreitlow 43.8% 157,524
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngSean Duffy Incumbent 56.1% 201,720
     Independent Dale Lehner 0% 20
     Miscellaneous N/A 0.1% 405
Total Votes 359,669
Source: Wisconsin Government Accountability Board "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" (dead link)

2010

On November 2, 2010, Sean Duffy won election to the United States House. He defeated Julie M. Lassa (D) and Gary Kauther (Independent No War No Bailout) in the general election.[64]

U.S. House, Wisconsin District 7 General Election, 2010
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngSean Duffy 52.1% 132,551
     Democratic Julie M. Lassa 44.4% 113,018
     Independent No War No Bailout Gary Kauther 3.3% 8,397
     N/A Scattering 0.2% 423
Total Votes 254,389

State profile

See also: Wisconsin and Wisconsin elections, 2019
USA Wisconsin location map.svg

Partisan data

The information in this section was current as of May 7, 2019

Presidential voting pattern

Congressional delegation

State executives

State legislature

Wisconsin Party Control: 1992-2025
Two years of Democratic trifectas  •  Ten years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D
Senate D R R R D D R D D D D R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Wisconsin quick stats
More Wisconsin coverage on Ballotpedia:


Demographic data for Wisconsin
 WisconsinU.S.
Total population:5,767,891316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):54,1583,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:86.5%73.6%
Black/African American:6.3%12.6%
Asian:2.5%5.1%
Native American:0.9%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0%0.2%
Two or more:2.1%3%
Hispanic/Latino:6.3%17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:91%86.7%
College graduation rate:27.8%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$53,357$53,889
Persons below poverty level:15%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Wisconsin.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ WSAW, "Few policy differences at Republican primary debate for 7th Congressional seat," December 12, 2019
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Wisconsin Public Radio, "GOP Debate Highlights Gun Rights, Dairy Crisis, Mental Health Ahead Of 7th District Special Election Primary," February 6, 2020
  3. ↑ Twitter, "Jason Church," accessed December 6, 2019
  4. ↑ Tom Tiffany 2020 campaign website, "Tom Tiffany for U.S. Congress," accessed December 6, 2019
  5. ↑ Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Candidate Tracking by Office," December 3, 2019
  6. ↑ Twitter, "MichaelOpela Twitter Bio," accessed January 20, 2020
  7. ↑ Wisconsin Redistricting Map, "Map," accessed July 24, 2012
  8. ↑ Twitter, "Jason Church," December 9, 2019
  9. ↑ WisPolitics.com, "Church campaign: Senator Tom Cotton endorses Jason Church for U.S. Congress," November 18, 2019
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Wheeler Report, "Congressman Adam Kinzinger Endorses Jason Church for U.S. House of Representatives," January 9, 2020
  11. ↑ WisPolitics.com, "Church campaign: Congressman Dan Crenshaw endorses Jason Church for U.S. Congress," December 4, 2019
  12. ↑ WisPolitics.com, "U.S. Rep. Mast: Endorses Jason Church for U.S. Congress," November 4, 2019
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 WBAY, "Congressman Sensenbrenner endorses Tiffany for Congress," January 19, 2020
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 WisPolitics.com, "Tiffany campaign: Western Wisconsin legislators support Tom Tiffany," September 25, 2019
  15. ↑ Twitter, "Jason Church," December 22, 2019
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 16.7 16.8 16.9 WisPolitics.com, "Sen. Tiffany: The Badge Backs Tiffany for Congress," November 20, 2019
  17. ↑ Wausau Daily Herald, "Sean Duffy endorses Tom Tiffany over Jason Church in Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District," December 19, 2019
  18. ↑ WQOW, "Former WI Gov. Scott Walker endorses Tom Tiffany for 7th Congressional District," September 11, 2019
  19. ↑ WisPolitics.com, "Tiffany campaign: Governor Tommy Thompson endorses Tom Tiffany for Congress," September 18, 2019
  20. ↑ Twitter, "Leah Vukmir," November 14, 2019
  21. ↑ WisPolitics.com, "Rep. Tiffany: Senator Moulton Announces Support," October 17, 2019
  22. ↑ Jason Church 2020 campaign website, "Endorsements," accessed February 4, 2020
  23. ↑ Facebook, "Jason Church," December 16, 2019
  24. ↑ Twitter, "Jason Church," December 11, 2019
  25. ↑ Twitter, "New Politics," December 5, 2019
  26. ↑ Facebook, "The Guardian Fund," November 18, 2019
  27. ↑ Facebook, "Jason Church on February 14, 2020," accessed February 17, 2020
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 The Club for Growth, "Club for Growth PAC Endorses Tom Tiffany (WI-7)," January 14, 2020
  29. ↑ Americans for Prosperity Action, "Americans for Prosperity Action today announces its endorsement of State Senator Tom Tiffany ...," October 18, 2019
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Wausau Daily Herald, "U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorses Tom Tiffany in Republican primary for 7th Congressional District," February 6, 2020
  31. ↑ The Daily Reporter, "ABC of Wisconsin endorses Tiffany for congress," December 5, 2019
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 WSAU, "Tiffany gets the Endorsement of the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association," January 9, 2020
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 Wisconsin Family Action, "Pro-Family PAC Endorses Tom Tiffany for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District," January 21, 2020
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 Facebook, "Wisconsin Right to Life," January 21, 2020
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Facebook, "Wisconsin Right to Life," January 21, 2020
  36. ↑ "Qualified endorsement due to rape/incest exception."
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Tom Tiffany's 2020 campaign website, "National Rifle Association of America - Political Victory Fund," January 23, 2020
  38. ↑ Facebook, "Tom Tiffany on January 30, 2020," accessed February 4, 2020
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 WisPolitics.com, "New negative TV ads launched in 7th CD GOP primary," February 14, 2020
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 Wispolitics.com, "U.S. Chamber launches TV buy praising Tiffany ahead of 7th CD primary," February 3, 2020
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 WisPolitics.com, "Club for Growth Action launches TV ad backing Tiffany in 7th CD," January 28, 2020
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 Politico, "Morning Score," January 22, 2020
  43. ↑ Church was given a "[q]ualified endorsement due to rape/incest exception."
  44. ↑ The Washington Free Beacon, "In New Ad, Army Vet Jason Church Says Soleimani Likely Funded Bomb That Took His Legs," January 14, 2020
  45. ↑ U.S. News, "Republican Tiffany Slings Cow Manure in Congressional Ad," January 10, 2020
  46. ↑ WisPolitics.com, "Church releases new TV, radio ads in 7th CD race," January 7, 2020
  47. ↑ WisPolitics.com, "Tiffany’s first radio ad in 7th CD bid features Walker," January 6, 2020
  48. ↑ Wausau Daily Herald, "Sean Duffy endorses Tom Tiffany over Jason Church in Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District," December 19, 2019
  49. ↑ Twitter, "NoBetterFriendCorp," December 13, 2019
  50. ↑ WisPolitics.com, "Church campaign: Releases first TV ad 'Do What’s Right'," November 13, 2019
  51. ↑ Wisconsin Public Radio, "Walker, Duffy To Headline Fundraiser For Tiffany In Race," October 23, 2019
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  53. ↑ Jason Church 2020 campaign website, "Jason Church’s Policy Positions," accessed December 5, 2019
  54. ↑ Tom Tiffany 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed January 22, 2020
  55. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
  56. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
  57. ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
  58. ↑ Roll Call, "Outside groups flock to Wisconsin race to replace Sean Duffy," February 11, 2020
  59. ↑ 59.0 59.1 WSAW, "Outside spending, campaign fundraising narrowly separates GOP 7th Congressional candidates," February 6, 2020
  60. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  61. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
  62. ↑ Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, "Candidate Tracking by Office," accessed June 2, 2016
  63. ↑ Politico, "Wisconsin House Primaries Results," August 9, 2016
  64. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013


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