WISCONSIN, REPUBLICAN
CONGRESSMAN SEAN DUFFY ANNOUNCED
THIS WEEK HE IS STEPPING DOWN
EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 23.
DUFFY MADE HIS ANNOUNCEMENT IN A
FACEBOOK POST SAYING, IN PART,
RECENT WE HAVE LEARNED THAT OUR
BABY, DUE IN LATE OCTOBER, WILL
NEED EVEN MORE LOVE, TIME AND
ATTENTION DUE TO COMPLICATIONS,
INCLUDING A HEART CONDITION.
WITH MUCH PRAYER, HE SAYS, I
HAVE DECIDED THAT THIS IS THE
RIGHT TIME FOR ME TO TAKE A
BREAK FROM PUBLIC SERVICE IN
ORDER TO BE THE SUPPORT MY WIFE,
BABY AND FAMILY NEED RIGHT NOW.
DUFFY WAS FIRST ELECTED TO
REPRESENT WISCONSIN'S 7TH
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IN 2010.
HE BECAME A STAUNCH REPORTER OF
PRESIDENT PRESIDENT TRUMP.
WE CHECK IN WITH UW-SUPERIOR
POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR
ALISA VON HAGEL TO DISCUSS THE
IMPLICATIONS.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HIS
DEPARTURE ARE DIFFICULT FOR HIM
PERSONAL LE, BUTPERSONALLY, BUT YOU BELIEVE IT'S
PART OF A TREND.
HOW SO?
>> SO YOU SEE THAT PRIOR TO THE
2018 MIDTERM ELECTIONS AND
FOLLOWING, THERE'S BEEN A WAVE
OF REPUBLICANS RESIGNING,
RETIRING, LEAVING OFFICE OR
DECLARING THAT THEY WILL NOT
SEEK PUBLIC OFFICE AGAIN IN THE
FUTURE.
AND SO PART OF THIS IS JUST
THEIR LOOKING TO THE FUTURE,
SEEING -- OR AT LEAST IN 2018,
LEADING UP TO THE MIDTERMS,
THERE WASN'T OBVIOUSLY HIGH
HOPES FOR THE REPUBLICANS TO
HOLD ONTO THE MAJORITY IN THE
HOUSE.
AND SO BEING IN THE MINORITY AND
SORT OF SEEING THAT VISION OF
BEING IN THE MINORITY IN THE
FUTURE IS NOT FUN FOR
LEGISLATORS OR IS NOT SOMETHING
THAT ALLOWS THEM TO REALLY
ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS THAT THEY
SET OUT TO DO.
SO YOU JUST SEE A WAVE OF
REPUBLICANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
THAT HAVE BEEN RESIGNING OR
RETIRING SINCE THEN.
>> DO YOU FEEL AS THOUGH THE
TURBULENCE OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION HAS ANYTHING TO
DO WITH THE REPUBLICAN KIND OF
MINI EXODUS?
>> IT CERTAINLY HAS PLAYED A
ROLE, NO DOUBT.
EVEN THOSE WHO ARE STAUNCH
ALLIES OF THE PRESIDENT OR
SUPPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION'S
AGENDA, YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST
ALWAYS A CONTROVERSY OR SOME
GAFFE, SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS,
AND LEGISLATORS ARE OFTEN
HOUNDED BY NEWS REPORTERS TO BE
ASKED ABOUT THE LATEST TWEET OR
WHATNOT.
AND IT'S JUST A LOT OF MORE
TENSION, MORE CONFLICT THEY HAVE
TO DEAL WITH, EVEN IF THEY ARE
STILL VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE
PRESIDENT AND HIS GOALS.
>> THE FIRST THOUGHT MANY HAD ON
HEARING THAT SEAN DUFFY WAS
RESIGNING WAS HE'D BE THROWING
HIS HAT IN THE RING FOR U.S.
SENATE OR EVEN GOVERNOR.
WHAT'S YOUR SENSE OF THAT?
>> YEAH.
THAT SPECULATION HAS BEEN MADE
EVEN BEFORE THIS RESIGNATION AT
THIS TIME.
THERE WAS TALK OF HIM RUNNING
FOR CHALLENGING TAMMY BALDWIN IN
2018 FOR HER SEAT, BUT IT WAS
SORT OF DETERMINED THAT HER
SUPPORT WAS JUST TOO STRONG IN
THE STATE AND IT WOULDN'T BE
WORTH IT.
THERE'S TALK OF HIM RUNNING FOR
RON JOHNSON'S SEAT IN THE
FUTURE.
AND WHETHER OR NOT THIS TIME OFF
WILL HELP OR HINDER HIS ABILITY
TO DO THAT, HE LEFT OFFICE WITH
ABOUT 2.4 MILLION IN HIS WAR
CHEST, DOES SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF
MONEY CERTAINLY, BUT AT LEAST TO
MYSELF, BUT IT IS FOR -- RUNNING
FOR PUBLIC OFFICE, ES ESPECIALLY
RUNNING FOR SENATE AT THAT LEVEL
OF OFFICE IS REALLY NOT NOWHERE
NEAR ENOUGH TO REALLY START
MAKING A SOLID RUN TOWARDS THAT
OFFICE.
AND SO IT'S HARD TO SAY.
IT'S HARD TO SAY.
>> WHAT KIND OF SCRUM DO YOU
EXPECT THERE TO BE AS POTENTIAL
CANDIDATES TO REPLACE AND LINE
UP AND JUMP INTO THE RACE?
>> THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF
CANDIDATES, STATE REPS, THAT
HAVE ALREADY BEEN THROWING THEIR
HAT INTO THE RING.
I'VE HEARD JAMES, JANET BIEWLY,
TOM TIFFANY A REPUBLICAN THAT
RIGHT AWAY JUMPED INTO THE RACE
OR THAT AT LEAST STATED HIS
INTENTION IN RUNNING.
AND SO THERE WILL NO DOUBT BE
MORE AND MORE CANDIDATES COMING
FORWARD AS WE HAVE THE SPECIAL
ELECTION DATE ESTABLISHED AND WE
GET CLOSER LEADING UP TO THAT
DATE.
>> NOW, SEAN DUFFY WON THAT
DISTRICT BY 20 PERCENTAGE POINTS
LAST YEAR, THE SAME MARGIN
PRESIDENT TRUMP WON IT BY IN
2016.
SO IS IT A SUPER SOLID
REPUBLICAN DISTRICT FOLLOWING
REDISTRICTING?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO
SAY.
SO THE DISTRICT HAS CERTAINLY
MOVED TO A MORE CONSERVATIVE
BENT SINCE SEAN DUFFY HAS BEEN
IN OFFICE, AND DESPITE THAT,
WHEN HE RESIGNED, THE DAY AFTER
HE RESIGNED, HIS DISTRICT IN THE
COOK'S CLINICAL REPORT WAS
CLASSIFIED AS SOLIDLY
REPUBLICAN, WAS TRANSFERRED TO
LEANING REPUBLICAN.
AND SO THERE'S ALREADY SIGNS
THAT GIVEN THE LARGER NATIONWIDE
TRENDS OF THE CONTROVERSY WITH
THE ADMINISTRATION, WITH THE
CONTINUED PRESENCE OF THE
DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY IN CONGRESS,
THAT THIS MAY NOT BE A GOOD
UPCOMING YEAR FOR REPUBLICANS.
AND SO IT CERTAINLY IS GOING TO
BE A TOUGH BATTLE FOR WHOEVER
DECIDES TO RUN.
>> OKAY.
MIGHT BE IN PLAY.
ALISA VON