Democrat Mary Hoeft will face incumbent Congressman Sean Duffy in northern Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District race come November, and she plans to make an issue out of Duffy’s support for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
“When he’s talking about Trump, he has an excuse for the things Trump is saying, and Trump is saying dangerous things,” Hoeft said of Duffy. “So yes, I will make a point throughout this next three months, unless Sean Duffy separates himself from him, which I don’t think he’s going to do.”
Hoeft, a University of Wisconsin-Barron County communications arts professor, defeated Marathon County Board Supervisor Joel Lewis in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.
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Duffy defeated real estate broker Don Raihala in Tuesday’s 7th District Republican primary and has held the position since 2011.
Hoeft said Duffy should renounce his support for Trump following Trump’s controversial comments about the Second Amendment and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
“When he dares to suggest that people who follow the Second Amendment can do something about Hillary Clinton, you tell me that that’s not a veiled threat,” Hoeft said. “And Sean Duffy needs to separate himself from this man.”
Trump said he was referring to the organizing power of gun rights advocates.
Hoeft has also challenged Duffy to a series of debates.
Calls to Duffy’s campaign office were not returned by deadline.
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