Duffy's Son-in-Law Wins GOP Primary in Wisconsin's 7th District

Wisconsin voters set the fall matchups in three closely watched U.S. House races Tuesday, with Democrats picking nominees in two Republican-held districts they hope to flip and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's son-in-law winning a solid-red seat.

In the 1st Congressional District, Democrat Mitchell Berman, a nurse, defeated two primary opponents and will face incumbent GOP Rep. Bryan Steil in November, CBS News projects. Berman outraised his primary rivals, but Steil holds a $6.1 million cash-on-hand advantage, according to Federal Election Commission data. Steil was first elected in 2018, succeeding former House Speaker Paul Ryan. A Democrat has not held the seat in more than 30 years, though the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee lists it among 46 competitive districts this cycle. The University of Virginia's Center for Politics rates the race as likely Republican.

In the 3rd Congressional District, Democrat Rebecca Cooke won her primary over progressive challenger Emily Berge and will face Republican incumbent Rep. Derrick Van Orden in a rematch, CBS News projects. Cooke lost to Van Orden by less than three percentage points in 2024. She has raised about $8.6 million to Van Orden's $7.5 million, though he holds nearly $3 million more in cash on hand. The Center for Politics rates the race a toss-up. Van Orden first flipped the western Wisconsin seat in 2022.

In the 7th Congressional District, Michael Alfonso, Duffy's son-in-law, won the Republican primary, CBS News projects, while the Democratic primary remained unsettled. The seat, currently held by GOP Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is running for governor, was held by Democrats for decades until Duffy won it in 2010. Duffy resigned from Congress in 2019 citing his ninth child's health complications. The Cook Political Report rates the seat solid Republican. President Trump endorsed Alfonso in January, calling him "a young 'STAR.'"