Tom Tiffany Easily Wins Special Election for Wisconsin’s Seventh District (WI-7)

Eau Claire, Wis. (PPD) — Republican Tom Tiffany easily defeated Tricia Zunker in the special election Tuesday for Wisconsin’s Seventh Congressional District (WI-7). This contest was to fill the vacancy left by Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., who resigned for family reasons.

Congressman-elect Tiffany, a state senator from Hazelhurst, won 57.2% of the vote against Tricia Zunker, a school board official from Wausau, who took just 42.8%. The outsized win was large even for the district.

Candidate	Party	Votes	Percent
Tom Tiffany	Republican	109,594	57.2%
Tricia Zunker	Democrat	81,955	42.8

WI-7, which encompasses the North to Northwestern region of the state, is about as rural as they come. Wausau is the largest population city in the district, which is still R+8 overall.

The great people of #WI07 have chosen wisely once again! Congrats to @TomTiffanyWI on running an outstanding race from start to finish. I know Tom will work tirelessly on behalf of his constituents and will be a great addition to the House GOP Conference for years to come. 🇺🇸

— Kevin McCarthy (@kevinomccarthy) May 13, 2020

Ms. Zunker carried only the Democratic stronghold counties of Douglas (60/40), Bayfield (63/37) and Ashland (62/38). The once-home to the progressive labor movement, which includes bleeding from exurbs belonging to the Twin Cities, still boasts that working heritage.

However, Republicans have made large inroads in the district since 2010. That trend has been exacerbated under Donald Trump, the “blue collar billionaire”. The president’s working class platform has transformed much of the party from one for the rich to one for Main Street.

Now, the district has shifted to the point a largely traditional Republican candidate like Congressman-elect Tiffany can cruise to victory.

Meanwhile, Mike Garcia leads Democrat Christy Smith by 12 points in the special election for California’s 25th Congressional District (CA-25). This contest was to fill the vacancy left by former Rep. Katie Hill, D-Calif., who resigned in disgrace amid a sex scandal involving her staffers.

Wisconsin’s Seventh District (WI-7) Results By County

County	Tiffany	Zunker	Reporting
Marathon	22,768	16,047	100%
St. Croix	10,652	8,948	100
Oneida	7,519	5,918	100
Barron	6,769	4,447	100
Douglas	4,066	6,166	100
Polk	5,822	4,220	100
Vilas	5,227	3,392	100
Lincoln	5,005	3,510	100
Wood	4,731	3,325	100
Bayfield	2,292	3,842	100
Clark	4,029	2,087	100
Chippewa	3,622	2,057	100
Langlade	3,607	1,972	100
Sawyer	2,852	2,323	100
Taylor	3,634	1,369	100
Washburn	2,783	2,089	100
Price	2,617	1,903	100
Burnett	2,491	1,665	100
Ashland	1,503	2,473	100
Rusk	2,267	1,247	100
Forest	1,640	852	100
Iron	1,134	882	100
Florence	1,006	432	100
Juneau	785	394	100
Monroe	499	249	100
Jackson	274	146	100