Sean Duffy (Wisconsin)
Encyclopedia
Sean Patrick Duffy is an American politician, prosecutor
, former sports commentator
and reality television
personality. He first entered public life as a cast member on The Real World: Boston
and 2002's Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons, before going on to serve as district attorney
of Ashland County, Wisconsin and the U.S. Representative
for . He is a member of the Republican Party
.
, on October 3, 1971, the tenth of 11 children. He has a marketing degree from St. Mary's University
, and a law degree from William Mitchell College of Law
.
Duffy started log rolling at age 5 and speed climbing (sprinting up 60 and 90 foot poles) at 13. He holds two speed-climbing titles.
color commentator for televised competitions and in 2003 appeared as both a competitor and commentator on ESPN
's Great Outdoor Games
. He was named Badger State Games
Honorary Athlete of the 2004 Winter Games.
In 1997, Duffy appeared on The Real World: Boston
, the sixth season of the MTV
reality television
show, and on Road Rules: All Stars
in 1998, where he met his future wife Rachel
. Duffy later appeared on Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons, which aired in 2002. Both appeared in a filmed segment on 2008's The Real World Awards Bash, while Duffy served as district attorney.
, was appointed to the district attorney's post in 2002 by then Gov. Scott McCallum
, and was elected unopposed in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008. Upon assuming the office of district attorney
, he succeeded Michael Gableman
, a current justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court
.
Duffy was on the Republican slate of the 10 Wisconsin
electors for the 2008 Presidential Election.
On July 8, 2009, Duffy announced his campaign for Congress in Wisconsin's seventh congressional district
. Duffy was considered an underdog in the race until May 2010 when 15-term incumbent Democrat Representative Dave Obey
announced that he would not seek re-election. Following Obey's announcement, Democratic State Senator Julie Lassa joined the race.
On June 4, 2010, Duffy announced his resignation from the position of District Attorney of Ashland County to focus on the congressional race. The resignation was effective three weeks later and Duffy returned to work in his father's law practice. He won the race on November 2, 2010, in a nationwide wave of Republicans being elected to Congress. Different sources attribute his victory to his ten month head start on Lassa's campaign, his grassroots organization and fundraising, his experience as a district attorney, and voter discontent with the economy.
2012
In March 2011, Duffy caused controversy when a video published by the Polk County Republicans, showing a public town hall-style meeting in his district, was removed after critics attacked the video. In the video, made in the wake of the passage of a controversial state bill which would have effectively frozen the salaries of state employees, Duffy was asked about whether he would be willing to cut his own $174,000 salary. Duffy responded that he would only be willing to do so as part of a general round of salary cuts for government employees, and insisted that he was "struggling" to get by, despite his salary being nearly three times the average for Wisconsin residents. The video has since been published in other locations.
In July 2011 Duffy sponsored a bill in the House of Representatives to change financial reforms that had been in place for over a year. The bill created a bipartisan commission made up of five members of Congress to replace the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director. The bill also gave the committee more room to get rid of polices that Duffy believes jeopardize the safety of the US banking system.
From February to October 2011, Duffy voted yes on three different bills to approve limits on funding for Abortion. The bills were: 1) Amends Federal Health Care Law to Prohibit Abortion Coverage; 2) Prohibiting Taxpayer Funding of Abortion; 3) Prohibiting Use of Federal Funds For Planned Parenthood. Duffy cosponsored the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act and the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act. While the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act is presented by pro-life advocates as a straightforward bill intending to stop federal dollars from going to fund abortions, pro-choice advocates say that federal funding of abortion is already prohibited, and the bill's true intent is to restrict insurance coverage for and decrease access to abortions.
Duffy’s largest financial contributor is the Marshfield Clinic, a large medical group in based in Marshfield, WI. Among his top 18 contributors is Koch Industries, which has received widespread publicity as a major contributor to controversial Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. The top categories of contributors include: single issue organizations, finance/insurance/real estate, health care industry, and other business interests.
, in particular the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
and the Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity.
, an alumna of The Real World: San Francisco
. They live in Ashland, Wisconsin
. They have six children: Evita Pilar, Xavier Jack, Lucia-Belen, John-Paul, Paloma Pilar and MariaVictoria Margarita.
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
, former sports commentator
Sports commentator
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
and reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
personality. He first entered public life as a cast member on The Real World: Boston
The Real World: Boston
The Real World: Boston is the sixth season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships. The Boston cast lived in a...
and 2002's Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons, before going on to serve as district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
of Ashland County, Wisconsin and the U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for . He is a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
Early life, education, and early career
Duffy was born in Hayward, WisconsinHayward, Wisconsin
Hayward is a city in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, United States, next to the Namekagon River. The population was 2,129 at the 2000 census. The city is surrounded by the Town of Hayward.-Transportation:U.S...
, on October 3, 1971, the tenth of 11 children. He has a marketing degree from St. Mary's University
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is a private, comprehensive, coeducational university with an undergraduate campus in the city of Winona, Minnesota, United States...
, and a law degree from William Mitchell College of Law
William Mitchell College of Law
William Mitchell College of Law, or WMCL, is a private, independent law school located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Accredited by the American Bar Association , it offers full and part-time legal education in pursuit of the Juris Doctor degree....
.
Duffy started log rolling at age 5 and speed climbing (sprinting up 60 and 90 foot poles) at 13. He holds two speed-climbing titles.
Television career
Duffy has been an ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
color commentator for televised competitions and in 2003 appeared as both a competitor and commentator on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Great Outdoor Games
Great Outdoor Games
The Great Outdoor Games is a series of outdoor games created by ESPN. The program was cancelled in 2006.Great Outdoor Games individual events include:* Fishing Events** Fly Fishing** Freshwater Doubles* Sporting Dog Events** Agility...
. He was named Badger State Games
Badger State Games
The Badger State Games are a set of annual Olympic-style competitions for amateur athletes from the state of Wisconsin. It is a member of the National Congress of State Games. The Badger State Games began in 1985 and hold both summer and winter games annually...
Honorary Athlete of the 2004 Winter Games.
In 1997, Duffy appeared on The Real World: Boston
The Real World: Boston
The Real World: Boston is the sixth season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships. The Boston cast lived in a...
, the sixth season of the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
show, and on Road Rules: All Stars
Road Rules: All Stars
Road Rules: All Stars is the first season and original title of the MTV reality television game show, The Challenge. The first season of the show premiered on June 1st, 1998.-Format:...
in 1998, where he met his future wife Rachel
Rachel Campos-Duffy
Rachel Campos-Duffy is an American television personality who first gained fame in 1994 as a castmate on the MTV reality television series The Real World: San Francisco, before becoming a TV host, most notably as a recurring guest host on the ABC talk show The View.-Early life:Rachel Campos was...
. Duffy later appeared on Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons, which aired in 2002. Both appeared in a filmed segment on 2008's The Real World Awards Bash, while Duffy served as district attorney.
Early political career
Duffy, a RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, was appointed to the district attorney's post in 2002 by then Gov. Scott McCallum
Scott McCallum
Scott McCallum is a member of the Republican Party who served as the 43rd Governor of Wisconsin, from 2001 to 2003. Prior to assuming the role of governor upon the appointment of Tommy Thompson as Secretary of Health and Human Services, McCallum served as a member of the Wisconsin State Senate and...
, and was elected unopposed in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008. Upon assuming the office of district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
, he succeeded Michael Gableman
Michael Gableman
Michael J. Gableman is a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. His term began on August 1, 2008 and ends on July 31, 2018.- Biography :Justice Gableman was born in West Allis and raised in Waukesha County. He is a graduate of New Berlin West High School and Ripon College , where he earned a...
, a current justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Wisconsin Supreme Court
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in the state of Wisconsin. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over original actions, appeals from lower courts, and regulation or administration of the practice of law in Wisconsin.-Location:...
.
Duffy was on the Republican slate of the 10 Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
electors for the 2008 Presidential Election.
Elections
2010On July 8, 2009, Duffy announced his campaign for Congress in Wisconsin's seventh congressional district
Wisconsin's 7th congressional district
Wisconsin's 7th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in northwestern and central Wisconsin; it is the largest congressional district in the state geographically, covering 20 counties , for a total of 18,787 sq mi...
. Duffy was considered an underdog in the race until May 2010 when 15-term incumbent Democrat Representative Dave Obey
Dave Obey
David Ross "Dave" Obey is the former U.S. Representative for , serving 21 consecutive terms from 1969 until 2011. The district includes much of the northwestern portion of the state, including Wausau and Superior...
announced that he would not seek re-election. Following Obey's announcement, Democratic State Senator Julie Lassa joined the race.
On June 4, 2010, Duffy announced his resignation from the position of District Attorney of Ashland County to focus on the congressional race. The resignation was effective three weeks later and Duffy returned to work in his father's law practice. He won the race on November 2, 2010, in a nationwide wave of Republicans being elected to Congress. Different sources attribute his victory to his ten month head start on Lassa's campaign, his grassroots organization and fundraising, his experience as a district attorney, and voter discontent with the economy.
2012
Tenure
On March 17, 2011, Duffy was one of only seven Republicans who voted "No" on a House bill that would strip all government funding from National Public Radio.In March 2011, Duffy caused controversy when a video published by the Polk County Republicans, showing a public town hall-style meeting in his district, was removed after critics attacked the video. In the video, made in the wake of the passage of a controversial state bill which would have effectively frozen the salaries of state employees, Duffy was asked about whether he would be willing to cut his own $174,000 salary. Duffy responded that he would only be willing to do so as part of a general round of salary cuts for government employees, and insisted that he was "struggling" to get by, despite his salary being nearly three times the average for Wisconsin residents. The video has since been published in other locations.
In July 2011 Duffy sponsored a bill in the House of Representatives to change financial reforms that had been in place for over a year. The bill created a bipartisan commission made up of five members of Congress to replace the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director. The bill also gave the committee more room to get rid of polices that Duffy believes jeopardize the safety of the US banking system.
From February to October 2011, Duffy voted yes on three different bills to approve limits on funding for Abortion. The bills were: 1) Amends Federal Health Care Law to Prohibit Abortion Coverage; 2) Prohibiting Taxpayer Funding of Abortion; 3) Prohibiting Use of Federal Funds For Planned Parenthood. Duffy cosponsored the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act and the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act. While the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act is presented by pro-life advocates as a straightforward bill intending to stop federal dollars from going to fund abortions, pro-choice advocates say that federal funding of abortion is already prohibited, and the bill's true intent is to restrict insurance coverage for and decrease access to abortions.
Duffy’s largest financial contributor is the Marshfield Clinic, a large medical group in based in Marshfield, WI. Among his top 18 contributors is Koch Industries, which has received widespread publicity as a major contributor to controversial Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. The top categories of contributors include: single issue organizations, finance/insurance/real estate, health care industry, and other business interests.
Committee assignments
Duffy serves on the Committee on Financial ServicesUnited States House Committee on Financial Services
The United States House Committee on Financial Services is the committee of the United States House of Representatives that oversees the entire financial services industry, including the securities, insurance, banking, and housing industries...
, in particular the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
United States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
The U.S. House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit is a subcommittee of the House Committee on Financial Services.-Jurisdiction:...
and the Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity.
Electoral history
- 2010 Race for U.S. House of Representatives — 7th District
- Sean Duffy (R), 52%
- Julie Lassa (D), 44%
- 2008 Race for District Attorney of Ashland County, Wisconsin
- Sean Duffy (R) (inc.)
- unopposed
- 2006 Race for District Attorney of Ashland County, Wisconsin
- Sean Duffy (R) (inc.)
- unopposed
- 2004 Race for District Attorney of Ashland County, Wisconsin
- Sean Duffy (R) (inc.)
- unopposed
- 2002 Race for District Attorney of Ashland County, Wisconsin
- Sean Duffy (R) (inc.)
- unopposed
Personal life
Duffy is married to Rachel Campos-DuffyRachel Campos-Duffy
Rachel Campos-Duffy is an American television personality who first gained fame in 1994 as a castmate on the MTV reality television series The Real World: San Francisco, before becoming a TV host, most notably as a recurring guest host on the ABC talk show The View.-Early life:Rachel Campos was...
, an alumna of The Real World: San Francisco
The Real World: San Francisco
The Real World: San Francisco is the third season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships...
. They live in Ashland, Wisconsin
Ashland, Wisconsin
Ashland is a city in Ashland and Bayfield counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The city is a port on Lake Superior, near the head of Chequamegon Bay. The population was 8,695 at the 2010 census....
. They have six children: Evita Pilar, Xavier Jack, Lucia-Belen, John-Paul, Paloma Pilar and MariaVictoria Margarita.
External links
- Official House of Representatives website
- Sean Duffy for Congress campaign website