To the GOP’s dismay, Gov. Tony Evers announced there will be a special election to fill the Congress vacancy created by U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy’s, R-WI, resignation on Monday.
Duffy informed Evers he would be leaving the office after eight years on September 19, effective as of September 23.
“... It has been the honor of my life to represent the place that I care about and the people that I love in Congress.” Duffy wrote in his letter to the Governor.
According to state law, Evers must issue an order to call for a special election to fill Duffy’s seat, and he claims he has taken this action to give the 7th Congressional District a representative as soon as possible.
“Our rural communities have been directly affected by unproductive trade wars, political attacks on healthcare and public education, and economic uncertainty because of the volatility we’re seeing in Washington, D.C.,” Evers said in a press release. “The people of Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District deserve to have a voice in Congress, which is why I am calling for a special election.”
However, Executive Director of the Republican Party of Wisconsin Mark Jefferson called Evers out on past statements he’s made about the large cost of holding special elections in November.
“Gov. Tony Evers called for a special election on a Monday over the holidays in order to shield his party from rural voters during the spring election,” Jefferson said. “This desperate move shows just how terrified Democrats are of rural Wisconsin voters, their level of hypocrisy and the lengths they’ll go to benefit their own party.”
Despite this, the election will take place on Jan. 27, 2020, with a primary election set for Dec. 30, 2019 if necessary.
