Army veteran Jason Church challenges Tiffany in GOP race for Sean Duffy seat, Riveron out

Laura Schulte, Wausau Daily Herald
·4 min read
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HUDSON - A second Republican has entered the race to fill the vacant 7th Congressional District seat after U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy stepped down Monday.

Retired Army Capt. Jason Church announced his candidacy Tuesday, the second candidate to commit to the race to replace Duffy, who said he resigned to spend time with his family as he and his wife are expecting their ninth child to be born in October with heart ailments.

Church would challenge Republican state Sen. Tom Tiffany of Hazelhurst in a primary if both campaigns proceed. Gov. Tony Evers scheduled the primary election for Dec. 30 and the final special election for the 7th District on Jan. 27.

Church, a native of Menomonie and graduate of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, was deployed in 2012 to Afghanistan, where he was injured in an IED explosion, according to his campaign announcement. Both of his legs had to be amputated below the knee. He said his experience returning home inspired his run.

"Wisconsin's 7th District is made up of hardworking Americans who understand sacrifice and caring for their neighbors in need," Church said in the announcement. "They rallied around me when I came home from Afghanistan and it would be my honor to return the favor and fight for them in the United States Congress."

Church said he was medically retired from the Army in 2014 after being promoted to captain. Today, he serves on the board of directors for Sentinels of Freedom, a foundation that helps severely wounded post-9/11 veterans.

He said he plans to "stand with President Trump to secure our borders, protect the most vulnerable among us, stand up for our veterans, and make sure Wisconsin’s economic recovery is protected from socialist interference."

Jim Miller, chairman of the 7th District Republican Party, said Church has a strong resume and will resonate well with voters in the district.

"He's a tough challenger," Miller said.

The winner of the Jan. 27 election will fill the remainder of the term left vacant by Duffy, a Wausau-based Republican who has represented the district since 2011. The seat would then be up for election again the following November.

Tiffany, who declared his intent to run for the seat on Sept. 10, also promised to align himself with Trump. Tiffany has been a state senator since 2012, and previously served a term in the Assembly.

Miller said he believes Church and Tiffany both are strong candidates for the Republicans. He said he's concerned about the Dec. 30 date that the Democrat Evers set for the primary, because it's so close to the Christmas holiday, but still believes the district will stay Republican.

"I think we'll be victorious," he said. "I'm pretty confident with where we're sitting right now."

State Sen. Jerry Petrowski and Mosinee Mayor Brent Jacobson, also Republicans, considered running for the seat but both ultimately stepped aside. Wausau thoracic surgeon Fernando Riveron, a Republican, dropped out of consideration Tuesday.

"I hope to be able to continue my service as a doctor and surgeon both here and abroad," Riveron wrote in the release. "This does not diminish my conviction that we must engage in the issues of the day that demand a vigilant response from all citizens."

So far, no Democrats have declared for the election, but voters can expect to see one or two candidates enter the race in the next week or so, said Kim Butler, chairwoman of the 7th District Democratic Party. The party is excited for the chance to run for the seat that has been in Republican control for eight years,  she said.

"People have felt starved for representation for the last eight years," Butler said. "We want someone in there that will represent all voters."

It will be a challenge for candidates to campaign with just three months until the primary, but she supports the governor's dates for the election. Evers said he scheduled them early so 7th District residents could have someone serving them in Congress quickly.

"I think that with the number of things going on in D.C. and the things we're dealing with in Wisconsin, we need someone to represent us," Butler said. "The idea of waiting all the way to April, which is six months without representation, is disturbing."

Potential Democratic candidates include Rep. Nick Milroy of South Range and Sen. Janet Bewley of Mason. Wausau-based lawyer Christine Bremer Muggli is also believed to be eyeing the seat.

Contact reporter Laura Schulte at 715-496-4088 or leschulte@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @schultelaura.

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This article originally appeared on Wausau Daily Herald: Sean Duffy seat: Army veteran Jason Church, senator Tom Tiffany to run