(The Center Square) – The field of Republican candidates for governor in Wisconsin is getting smaller.
Former Northwoods Congressman Sean Duffy told New Talk 1130 WISN’s Jay Weber on Thursday that he is not going to run.
“You have to be able to give 110% to a race, and right now with my kids it’s just not the right time,” Duffy said.
Duffy and his wife Rachel have nine children. They live in New Jersey because both Duffy and his wife are Fox News contributors. Duffy started with Fox News after nearly five terms in Congress representing Wisconsin.
“You have to raise strong, good, Conservative Christian kids if we’re going to be successful and save them from the pressures of this woke culture,” Duffy said. “And that’s my number one job.”
Duffy never said he was thinking about running for governor, but former President Donlad Trump jump-started the rumor mill when he issued a statement in October urging Duffy to run.
“Working hard to get very popular and capable Former Congressman Sean Duffy of Wisconsin to run for Governor. He would be fantastic!” Trump said at the time. “A champion athlete, Sean loves the people of Wisconsin, and would be virtually unbeatable.”
Duffy’s decision means one fewer candidate to challenge Republican Rebecca Kleefisch, who served as Wisconsin’s lieutenant governor from 2011 to 2019, and Jonathan Wichmann, who is also running for governor.
“Sean Duffy is a conservative stalwart and a great family man,” Kleefisch said on Twitter Thursday. “Thank you for everything you and [Rachel Campos-Duffy] do to advance the conservative movement. I look forward to all of us working together to beat Tony Evers!”
Conservative Kevin Nicholson is a possible Republican candidate in Wisconsin, but he has not yet decided if he’s going to run for governor or for U.S. Senate.
