Three-time Trump voter 'insulted' by Congressional bid of Sean Duffy's son-in-law

A three-time Trump voter says it's "insulting" that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's son-in-law is even running for Congress.

Meg Ellefson, a Wisconsin podcaster and former drive-time radio host, has lived in the district for 20 years and voted for President Donald Trump three times. Now she's one of the loudest Republican voices against his chosen candidate.

Republican candidate Michael Alfonso, 26, is running in the Aug. 11 Republican primary for Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District — Duffy's old seat.

"I think it's insulting to people in the 7th that someone who lacks qualifications and any life experiences and any kind of demonstrable leadership skills or experience is even being touted as a candidate," Ellefson told the Associated Press. "It's super aggravating to me."

Duffy transferred $1 million from his old congressional account to Alfonso's super PAC and lobbied Trump to endorse him.

"[Duffy] is exploiting his Cabinet position and fame to influence an election and hand one of the nation's highest offices to his unqualified, 26-year-old son-in-law," Ellefson told Axios.

She said she's "utterly disgusted by this blatant manipulation of voters."

Jessica McBride, a contributor to Wisconsin Right Now, a conservative news site, said activists believe Alfonso's "resume is too thin to qualify him for Congress, and yet there is disrespect being shown to the grassroots, which taken together amounts to a sense of entitlement."

"The Duffy Bunch has made 'The Swamp' their family business," Brian Christianson, a spokesperson for rival candidate Kevin Hermening, told Wisconsin Public Radio.

Hermening, a 66-year-old former Iranian hostage and financial planner, also ran for Congress at 26 — and lost by 25 points.

"The voters told me that I wasn't ready or prepared yet," Hermening told the Associated Press in an interview at his Wausau office. "I was ill prepared to have actually done the job, and I'm not saying that because Mr. Alfonso's in the race. It's a fact."

"[Duffy] uses the power of DOT to execute on the president's ambitious transportation agenda. That's it," Transportation Department spokesperson Nathaniel Sizemore said, adding that Duffy supports Alfonso only in his "personal capacity."