Sean Duffy

Duffy was born on October 3, 1971, in Hayward, Wisconsin,{{cite web|url=http://www.legistorm.com/memberbio/2807/Rep_Sean_Duffy_WI.html|title=Rep. Sean Patrick Duffy|website=LegiStorm|accessdate=March 6, 2014}}{{cite web|title=Sean Patrick Duffy|website=The Washington Times|date=2012|url=http://p.washingtontimes.com/campaign-2012/candidates/sean-patrick-duffy-60735/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140306033536/http://p.washingtontimes.com/campaign-2012/candidates/sean-patrick-duffy-60735/ |archive-date=March 6, 2014|accessdate=March 5, 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=126238|title=Sean Duffy's Biography|website=Project Vote Smart|accessdate=November 3, 2010}} the tenth of 11 children of Carol Ann (née Yackel) and Thomas Walter Duffy. He has Irish and German ancestry.[https://x.com/SeanDuffyWI/status/974420130603175938?mx=2 "Sean Duffy on X"]. X. Retrieved February 2, 2025. He has a bachelor's degree in marketing from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota and a Juris Doctor from William Mitchell College of Law.

Duffy started log rolling at age five and speed climbing (sprinting up 60- and 90-foot poles) at 13. He holds two speed-climbing titles.{{cite web|url=http://www.classicwisconsin.com/features/famval.html|title=Lumberjack World Championships, Hayward|website=Classic Wisconsin|access-date=2010-04-07|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120728231509/http://www.classicwisconsin.com/features/famval.html|archive-date=July 28, 2012}}

In 1997, Duffy starred on The Real World: Boston, the sixth season of the MTV reality television show, and on Road Rules: All Stars, a Winnebago driving event, in 1998, where he met his future wife Rachel Campos. Duffy later appeared on Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons, which aired in 2002. Both appeared in a filmed segment on 2008's The Real World Awards Bash, while Duffy served as district attorney.[https://web.archive.org/web/20081029030110/http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/222473/dial-tone-fury.jhtml#id=1584947 "The Real World Awards Bash (Extended Version)"]. MTV. Retrieved April 5, 2011.

Duffy has been an ESPN color commentator for televised competitions and in 2003 appeared as both a competitor and commentator on ESPN's Great Outdoor Games. He was named Badger State Games Honorary Athlete of the 2004 Winter Games.{{cite web |url=http://www.badgerstategames.org/hayward-lumberjack-champion-sean-duffy-named-honorary-athlete |title=Hayward Lumberjack Champion Sean Duffy Named Honorary Athlete {{!}} Sports in Wisconsin |website=Badgerstategames.org |publisher=Wausau/Central Wisconsin Convention & Visitors Bureau |date=2007-07-17 |access-date=2010-04-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20091019024120/http://www.badgerstategames.org/hayward-lumberjack-champion-sean-duffy-named-honorary-athlete |archive-date=2009-10-19 }}

File:Sean Duffy.jpg

Duffy, a Republican,{{Cite news|url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/scorecard/0609/Real_World_Washington.html|title=Real World: Washington – The Scorecard|work=Politico|access-date=2010-04-07}} was appointed Ashland County district attorney in 2002{{Cite news|url=http://www.chippewa.com/articles/2003/06/23/news/news4.txt|title=Bloomer passes referendum on first try|website=The Chippewa Herald |date=2003-02-19|access-date=2010-04-07}} to succeed Michael Gableman by Governor Scott McCallum. He was reelected unopposed in 2002, 2004,[http://elections.state.wi.us/docview.asp?docid=1429 "Wisconsin State Elections Board Results of Fall General Election – 11/02/2004"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718191846/http://elections.state.wi.us/docview.asp?docid=1429 |date=2011-07-18 }}, December 1, 2004. Retrieved January 2, 2011. 2006[http://elections.state.wi.us/docview.asp?docid=10046&locid=47 "Wisconsin State Elections Board Results of Fall General Election – 11/07/2006"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430233756/http://elections.state.wi.us/docview.asp?docid=10046&locid=47 |date=2008-04-30 }}, December 5, 2006. Retrieved January 2, 2011. and 2008.{{citation needed|date=March 2023}}

Duffy was on the Republican slate of the 10 Wisconsin electors for the 2008 presidential election.{{Cite news|last=Marrero|first=Diana|url=http://www.jsonline.com/news/president/33553064.html|title=Wisconsin slate of potential electors cut from all cloths |newspaper=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date=2008-10-30|access-date=2010-04-07}}

File:Ashland Co. DA Sean Duffy (4628377060).jpg, 2010]]

;2010

{{Main|2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin#District 7}}

On July 8, 2009, Duffy announced his campaign for Congress in Wisconsin's seventh congressional district. Duffy was considered an underdog in the race until May 2010 when 15-term incumbent Democratic representative Dave Obey announced that he would not seek re-election.{{Cite news|url=http://www.waow.com/Global/story.asp?S=10662657|title=Sean Duffy running for congress|publisher=WAOW|date=2009-07-08|access-date=2010-04-07|archive-date=May 12, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100512113916/http://www.waow.com/global/story.asp?s=10662657|url-status=dead}} Following Obey's announcement, Democratic state senator Julie Lassa joined the race.

On June 4, 2010, Duffy announced his resignation from the position of Ashland County district attorney to focus on the congressional race. The resignation was effective three weeks later and Duffy returned to work in his father's law practice. He won the race on November 2, 2010, in a nationwide wave of Republicans being elected to Congress.[http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/wire/chi-ap-wi-wisconsinhouse-7t,0,2649529.story "Wisconsin's Duffy says he's ready to get to work"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101108021607/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/wire/chi-ap-wi-wisconsinhouse-7t,0,2649529.story |date=2010-11-08 }}. Chicago Tribune/Associated Press. November 3, 2010.

Different sources attribute his victory to his ten-month head start on Lassa's campaign, his grassroots organization and fundraising, his experience as a district attorney, and voter discontent with the economy.[http://wsau.com/news/articles/2010/nov/04/strong-campaigan-voter-discontent-keys-duffy-victo/ "Strong campaign, voter discontent keys to Duffy victory"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718121941/http://wsau.com/news/articles/2010/nov/04/strong-campaigan-voter-discontent-keys-duffy-victo/ |date=2011-07-18}}. News Talk 550AM 99.9AM WSAU (AM). November 4, 2010. Retrieved November 14, 2010.

;2012

{{Main|2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin#District 7}}

Duffy was challenged by Democratic nominee Pat Kreitlow, whom he defeated.

;2014

{{Main|2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin#District 7}}

Duffy defeated challenger Kelly Westlund, the Democratic nominee.

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In 2011, Duffy voted to eliminate Davis–Bacon Act prevailing wage requirements for federal projects.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110312102628/http://thatsmycongress.com/house/repDuffyWI7112.html "Republican Representative Sean Duffy of Wisconsin"]}}. That's My Congress. Retrieved March 5, 2014.[http://www.ontheissues.org/House/Sean_Duffy_Jobs.htm "Sean Duffy on Jobs"], ontheissues.org. Retrieved March 5, 2014.Bivins, Larry (December 24, 2011). [http://www.marshfieldnewsherald.com/article/20111224/MNH0101/112240600/Duffy-ends-2011-bill-he-promised-start?odyssey=mod "Duffy ends 2011 with bill he promised at start"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150502105749/http://www.marshfieldnewsherald.com/article/20111224/MNH0101/112240600/Duffy-ends-2011-bill-he-promised-start?odyssey=mod |date=May 2, 2015 }}. The Marshfield News-Herald.

In March 2011, Duffy attended a Polk County Republican public town hall-style meeting in his district. In a video, following the passage of a state bill which would have effectively frozen the salaries of state employees, Duffy was asked about whether he would be willing to cut his own $174,000 salary. Duffy responded that he would only be willing to do so as part of a general round of salary cuts for government employees, and insisted that he was "struggling" to get by, despite his salary being nearly three times the average for Wisconsin residents.{{cite web|first=Rebecca|last=Stewart|url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/30/real-world-congressmans-money-troubles/|website=CNN|date=March 30, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110402133146/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/30/real-world-congressmans-money-troubles/|title=Real World congressman's money troubles|archive-date=April 2, 2011}}{{cite web|first=Craig|last=Gilbert|date=March 29, 2011|url=http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/118874654.html|title=House freshman Duffy tells constituents 'he's not living high on the hog' on congressional pay|website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel}}{{cite magazine|first=James|last=Downie|url=http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-chait/86092/how-prolong-scandal-wisconsin-edition|title=How to Prolong a Scandal, Wisconsin Edition|magazine=The New Republic|date=March 31, 2011}}

On December 22, 2011, Duffy and fellow Republican House freshman Rick Crawford (Arkansas), published an open letter to Speaker John Boehner, urging the leader to allow the House to vote on the Senate's two-month tax cut extension compromise.{{cite web|first=Marin|last=Cogan|url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70794.html |title=Payroll tax cut: Two GOP frosh bail, push for two-month bill|website=Politico|date=December 22, 2011}}

In 2013, Duffy and Democratic House member Michael Michaud (Maine) introduced a resolution calling for government action to ensure that people be provided with paper-based information along with electronic.Rein, Lisa (February 16, 2013). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/group-tries-to-slow-federal-governments-move-away-from-paper-to-the-web/2014/02/16/42fd9aa6-8de8-11e3-833c-33098f9e5267_story.html?hpid=z1 "Group tries to slow federal government's move away from paper to the Web"]. The Washington Post.

Duffy was on the Select Investigative Panel on Planned Parenthood.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2015/10/23/boehners-next-select-committee-focusing-on-planned-parenthood-to-be-led-by-marsha-blackburn/|title=Boehner's next select committee, focusing on Planned Parenthood, to be led by Marsha Blackburn|first=Paul|last=Kane|date=October 23, 2015|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=October 23, 2015}}

Duffy supported President Donald Trump's 2017 executive order to impose a temporary ban on entry to the U.S. to citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries. He stated that "President Trump is fulfilling a campaign promise to re-evaluate our visa vetting process so that the American people are safe from terrorism."{{Cite news |last1=Blake|first1=Aaron|title=Coffman, Gardner join Republicans against President Trump's travel ban; here's where the rest stand|url=http://www.denverpost.com/2017/01/29/republicans-on-trump-travel-ban/|website=The Denver Post|date=January 29, 2017|access-date=January 30, 2017}} In February 2017, Duffy gave an interview to CNN's Alisyn Camerota supporting Trump's immigration and travel ban. When Camerota, referring to the Quebec City mosque shooting, asked why Trump made no public statement on the white terrorists who perpetrated that act, Duffy replied, "I don't know, there's a difference. You don't have a group like ISIS or al-Qaeda that is inspiring people around the world to take up arms and kill innocents...That was a one-off, Alisyn."{{Cite news |last1=Scott|first1=Eugene|date=February 8, 2017|title=Duffy: 'There's a difference' on white terror and Muslim terror|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/02/07/politics/sean-duffy-white-terrorism-cnntv/|access-date=February 8, 2017|website=CNN}}

File:20170804-OSEC-LSC-0211 (36256155531).jpg Sonny Perdue at Northcentral Technical College in 2017]]

In January 2017, Duffy co-sponsored legislation that would end protection for grey wolves in the Endangered Species Act.{{Cite news|first=Megan|last=Guess|url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/01/republican-controlled-government-sees-chance-to-weaken-endangered-species-act/|title=Republican-controlled government sees chance to weaken Endangered Species Act|work=Ars Technica|date=January 17, 2017|access-date=March 11, 2017}}

In July 2018, Duffy said that Europe, China, Canada and Mexico had committed "economic terrorism in a way" by placing retaliatory tariffs on the United States in response to tariffs enacted by the Trump administration.{{Cite news|author=Dale, Daniel|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2018/07/25/republican-congressman-accuses-canada-of-economic-terrorism.html|title=Republican congressman accuses Canada of 'economic terrorism'|work=Toronto Star|date=July 25, 2018|access-date=July 31, 2018|language=en}}

Duffy resigned his seat effective September 23, 2019, to have more time to help his wife care for their daughter, who has a heart defect.{{cite news|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2019/08/26/sean-duffy-says-hes-leaving-congress-september/2120442001/|title=Sean Duffy says he's leaving Congress in September|last1=Beck|first1=Molly|date=26 August 2019|work=Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel|access-date=26 August 2019|last2=Gilbert|first2=Craig|first3=Patrick|last3=Marley}}

Duffy proposed legislation{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr3192|title=H.R. 3192 (113th): Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Accountability Act of 2013|date=September 26, 2013|access-date=April 19, 2016}} to replace the director of the consumer watchdog group, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), with a five-person commission and removing the CFPB from Federal Reserve System oversight so that it "would go through the same funding process as other federal agencies".{{cite news|last=Kasperowicz|first=Pete|title=House to take another swing at Dodd-Frank reform|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/economics-trade/197799-house-will-take-another-swing-at-dodd-frank-reform/|access-date=February 11, 2014|newspaper=The Hill|date=April 17, 2018}}{{Cite news |url=http://bankinsuranceconnection.aba.com/2013_09_01_archive.html|title=House Members Introduce Bills Targeting CFPB Practices and Oversight|date=September 30, 2013|website=Bank-Insurance Connection.com|publisher=American Bankers Association|access-date=April 19, 2016|archive-date=August 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816013945/http://bankinsuranceconnection.aba.com/2013_09_01_archive.html|url-status=dead}} The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would have been renamed the Financial Product Safety Commission. The bill also intended to make overturning the decisions about regulations that the new commission made easier to do. The bill gave the commission more room to get rid of policies that Duffy believes jeopardize the safety of the US banking system.[http://wsau.com/news/articles/2011/oct/31/congress-to-hear-impact-of-regulations-in-wausau/ "Congress to hear impact of regulations in Wausau"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120421031142/http://wsau.com/news/articles/2011/oct/31/congress-to-hear-impact-of-regulations-in-wausau/ |date=April 21, 2012 }}, wsau.com, October 31, 2011.

In December 2015, Duffy introduced legislation{{cite web|url=https://duffy.house.gov/press-release/duffy-bill-addresses-puerto-rico-debt-crisis-shields-americans-from-a-taxpayer-bailout|title=Duffy Bill Addresses Puerto Rico Debt Crisis; Shields Americans from a Taxpayer Bailout|publisher=Congressman Sean Duffy |date=December 9, 2015|access-date=April 19, 2016}} to establish a five-person financial oversight board over Puerto Rico (with members appointed by the White House) in exchange for allowing public entities in Puerto Rico access to Chapter 9 restructuring.{{cite web|url=https://pierluisi.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pierluisi-introduces-legislation-authorizing-us-treasury-department-to|title=Pierluisi Introduces Legislation Authorizing U.S. Treasury Department to Guarantee Future Puerto Rico Bonds|date=October 8, 2015|access-date=April 19, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505041342/https://pierluisi.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pierluisi-introduces-legislation-authorizing-us-treasury-department-to|archive-date=May 5, 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://pierluisi.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-senators-introduce-identical-companion-bill-to-hr-870-the-puerto-rico|title=U.S. Senators Introduce Identical Companion Bill to H.R. 870, the Puerto Rico Chapter 9 Uniformity Act|date=July 15, 2015|access-date=April 19, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417194403/http://pierluisi.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/us-senators-introduce-identical-companion-bill-to-hr-870-the-puerto-rico|archive-date=April 17, 2016}}{{Cite news|last1=Planas|first1=Roque|date=December 9, 2015|title=Puerto Rican Officials Say Congress' Inaction Will Lead To 'Humanitarian Crisis' On The Island|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/puerto-rico-congress-default-crisis_us_56687538e4b009377b235883|access-date=April 19, 2016|work=Huffington Post}}{{cite news|last1=House|first1=Billy|last2=Kaske|first2=Michelle|date=April 13, 2016|title=Puerto Rico Bill Stalls in House Amid Objections by Both Parties|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-04-13/house-puerto-rico-proposal-criticized-by-u-s-treasury-official|access-date=April 19, 2016|website=Bloomberg L.P.}}

In 2018, Duffy introduced legislation for Trump to enact more tariffs.{{Cite web|first=Adam|last=Behsudi|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/24/duffy-finds-18-co-sponsors-for-bill-to-increase-trumps-trade-powers-2555509|title=Duffy finds 18 co-sponsors for bill to increase Trump's tariff powers|website=Politico|date=January 24, 2019}}

• House Committee on Financial Services
• Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (Chairman){{Cite news |url=http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/story/news/local/2014/11/20/duffy-tapped-leadership-position-house/70029968/ |title=Duffy tapped for leadership position in House|last1=Hertel|first1=Nora |date=November 20, 2014 |website=Wausau Daily Herald |access-date=April 28, 2016}}
• Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
• Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit{{citation | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303045527/http://financialservices.house.gov/singlepages.aspx?NewsID=404|title=Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit|url=http://financialservices.house.gov/singlepages.aspx?NewsID=404|archive-date=March 3, 2011|access-date=April 28, 2016|url-status=dead}}
• Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity

After resigning from Congress, Duffy briefly served as a CNN political commentator, notably spreading a debunked conspiracy theory about the Trump-Ukraine scandal that there was a missing Democratic National Committee server in Ukraine that was "at the heart of the Russia investigation".{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/10/29/cnn-sean-duffy-anti-immigrant-bigotry-061434 |work=Politico |title=CNN defends new contributor Sean Duffy while anchors decry his 'anti-immigrant bigotry' |first=Michael |last=Calderone |date=October 29, 2019}} He also joined the lobbying firm BGR Group as a senior counsel,{{cite web |url=https://www.mediamatters.org/cnn/cnns-sean-duffy-joins-leading-lobbying-firm-creating-untold-conflicts-interest-network |publisher=Media Matters for America |first=Eric |last=Hananoki |date=November 12, 2019 |title=CNN's Sean Duffy joins leading lobbying firm, creating untold conflicts of interest for the network}}{{Cite news |date=November 12, 2019 |title=Sean Duffy heads to K Street after resigning from Congress |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/12/sean-duffy-k-street-069854 |work=Politico |last=Meyer |first=Theodoric}} eventually serving as a leader of the firm's financial services practice, where he represented clients such as Enterprise Products and the Partnership for Fair and Open Skies.{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-influence/2024/11/19/trump-taps-ex-lobbyist-to-lead-dot-00190505 |title=Trump taps ex-lobbyist to lead DOT |first=Caitlin |last=Oprysko |others=with Dana Nickel and Daniel Lippman |date=November 19, 2024 |work=Politico}} After 2023, he served on the firm's advisory board.{{cite web |url=https://bgrdc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Trump-Transition-Update-Sean-Duffy.pdf |title=Trump Transition Update |date=November 18, 2024 |publisher=BGR Group |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250130175614/https://bgrdc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Trump-Transition-Update-Sean-Duffy.pdf |archive-date=2025-01-30 |url-status=live}}

In December 2022, Duffy and Dagen McDowell were named co-hosts of The Bottom Line, a show on Fox Business which premiered on January 23, 2023.{{cite web |first=Ted |last=Johnson |date=December 12, 2022 |title=Fox Business Network Adds 'The Big Money Show,' 'The Bottom Line' To Weekday Schedule |url=https://deadline.com/2022/12/fox-business-network-sean-duffy-dagen-mcdowell-1235197391/ |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213010356/https://deadline.com/2022/12/fox-business-network-sean-duffy-dagen-mcdowell-1235197391/ |archivedate=December 13, 2022 |website=Deadline Hollywood |language=en-US}}

File:Vice President JD Vance swears in Sean Duffy as Secretary of Transportation.jpg, 2025]]

On November 18, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump named Duffy as his nominee for Secretary of Transportation in his second presidency.{{Cite news |last=Gold |first=Michael |date=November 18, 2024 |title=Donald Trump said he would nominate Sean Duffy, a former Republican congressman from Wisconsin who is a Fox Business host and whose wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, is a Fox News host, to be his Secretary of Transportation. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/11/18/us/trump-news-live/7a8f4a0a-5f1b-5021-8592-d903f7a97b4e |access-date=November 18, 2024 |work=The New York Times}} During his hearing on January{{nbsp}}15, 2025, he stated that if confirmed, his first trip as Secretary of Transportation would be to the Appalachian mountain regions of Tennessee and North Carolina, where flooding from Hurricane Helene damaged major interstate highways along with countless smaller roads and bridges.{{cite web |last=Rose |first=Joel |date=January 15, 2025 |title=Trump's Cabinet pick for Secretary of Transportation is Sean Duffy. Here's what to know |url=https://www.npr.org/2025/01/15/nx-s1-5261017/sean-duffy-transportation-secretary-dot-confirmation |access-date=January 17, 2025 |publisher=NPR.org}} He traveled to western North Carolina February 10, 2025.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wcnc.com/video/weather/hurricane/helene/transportation-secretary-sean-duffy-touring-damage-along-i-40-in-western-north-carolina/275-4a1df62e-9bc6-4a0a-9a57-48f3bacf4985|title=Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy touring damage along I-40 in western North Carolina|date=February 10, 2025|website=wcnc.com}}

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation approved his nomination in a 28–0 vote on January{{nbsp}}22 and the U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination in a 77–22 vote on January{{nbsp}}28.{{cite web | url = https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-senate-committee-advances-trump-nominee-head-transportation-department-2025-01-22/ | title = US Senate Committee advances Trump nominee to head Transportation Department | work = Reuters | date = 2025-01-22 | access-date = 2025-01-22 }}{{cite web | url = https://apnews.com/article/sean-duffy-transportation-elon-musk-selfdriving-spacex-tesla-31c739cfb56737413d40c5d1492225df# | title = Sean Duffy is confirmed by the Senate to lead the Transportation Department | work = Associated Press News | date = January 28, 2025 | access-date = January 28, 2025 | first = Bernard | last = Condon }} Some Democrats changed positions on his nomination, citing the Trump administration's ongoing federal spending freeze.{{cite web|first1=Mark|last1=Walker|first2=Carl|last2=Hulse|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/28/us/politics/sean-duffy-trump-transportation-secretary.html|title= Senate Confirms Sean Duffy as Transportation Secretary|website=The New York Times|date=January 28, 2025}}

File:Secretary Sean Duffy signs memorandum to reduce restrictive fuel standards, 2025.jpg

Duffy was officially sworn in by United States Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on January{{nbsp}}28, 2025.{{Cite web |date=January 29, 2025 |title=Sean Duffy Sworn In as Secretary of U.S. Department of Transportation and Takes Immediate Action to Make Cars More Affordable |url=https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/sean-duffy-sworn-secretary-us-department-transportation-and-takes-immediate-action |access-date=January 29, 2025 |publisher=United States Department of Transportation }} On January 29, 2025, Duffy was ceremonially sworn in by Vice President JD Vance.{{Cite tweet |user=SecDuffy |number=1884755311874973871 |title=Thank you to @VP for administering the ceremonial swearing in and welcoming my family.}}

In his first act in office on January{{nbsp}}29, Duffy signed a memorandum directing his department to immediately rescind and replace all existing corporate average fuel economy standards and eliminate the electric vehicle tax incentives instituted by the administration of Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden.{{Cite tweet |user=SecDuffy |number=1884410146438185312 |title=My first action as Secretary directed staff to reduce restrictive fuel standards that have needlessly driven up the cost of a car.}} In an additional memo, Duffy ordered that Transportation Department-supported programs and activities "shall prioritize projects and goals that{{nbsp}}... to the extent practicable, relevant, appropriate, and consistent with law, mitigate the unique impacts of DOT programs, policies, and activities on families and family-specific difficulties, such as the accessibility of transportation to families with young children, and give preference to communities with marriage and birth rates higher than the national average."{{Cite web |last=Duffy |first=Sean |date=2025-01-29 |title=Ensuring Reliance Upon Sound Economic Analysis in Department of Transportation Policies Programs and Activities |url=https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2025-01/Signed%20DOT%20Order%20re_Ensuring%20Reliance%20Upon%20Sound%20Economic%20Analysis%20in%20Department%20of%20Transportation%20Policies%20%20Programs%20and%20Activities.pdf |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=Transportation.gov |pages=2–3}}{{Cite web |last=Duffy |first=Sean |date=2025-02-07 |title= Transportation head Duffy's directive to tie funds to birth rates could hinder blue states |url= https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/transportation-head-duffys-directive-to-tie-funds-to-birth-rates-could-hinder-blue-states |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=PBS.org |pages=1}}

On his first official day in office, Duffy responded to the 2025 Potomac River mid-air collision from the Federal Aviation Administration headquarters.{{Cite tweet |user=SecDuffy |number=1884821464622170298 |title=I have directed @USDOT and @FAANews to provide full support to the @NTSB and all responding agencies and authorities.}} Immediately following the accident, Duffy instructed an investigation be opened into the cause of the crash and ordered his department to "provide full support to the NTSB and all responding agencies and authorities."{{Cite web |date=January 30, 2025 |title=American Airlines regional jet collides with Army helicopter near DC airport; fatalities confirmed |url=https://abc7.com/post/dc-plane-crash-reagan-national-airport-closed-due-aircraft-emergency-small-goes-down/15847811/ |work=KABC-TV |access-date=January 30, 2025 }} During the recovery, he held phone conversations with D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser, Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin, Kansas governor Laura Kelly, and NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy.{{Cite tweet |user=SecDuffy |number=1884821467260502135 |title=I have spoken with Washington D.C. Mayor Bowser, Virginia Governor Youngkin, Kansas Governor Kelly, and NTSB Chair Homendy to offer our agency's complete assistance.}} At approximately 12:30 a.m. EST, Duffy, Bowser, MWAA president and CEO John E. Potter, Senator Jerry Moran, and Senator Roger Marshall delivered the first official press conference regarding the incident at Reagan National Airport.{{Cite web |date=January 30, 2025 |title=NOW: Authorities hold news conference on midair plane collision |url=https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/plane-crash-dca-potomac-washington-dc-01-29-25#cm6iw4dik00053b6me59q3lzr |publisher=CNN |access-date=January 30, 2025 }}{{Cite web |last=Hooper |first=Sandy |date=January 30, 2025 |title=Sean Duffy: President Donald Trump's Transportation Secretary |url=https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/news/politics/2025/01/30/sean-duffy-president-donald-trumps-transportation-secretary/78042935007/ |website=USA Today |access-date=January 30, 2025 }}{{Cite web |title=Washington DC plane crash: American Airlines flight carrying dozens crashes into river after colliding with helicopter |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cy7kxx74yxlt?post=asset:17e9f219-ca17-41b8-a8b1-42cffa1c87ee#post |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}

On March 7, 2025, The New York Times reported that Sean Duffy had a clash with Elon Musk during a White House cabinet meeting. The secretary criticized DOGE's pressure to dismiss air traffic controllers at a time when his department was facing a series of air accidents. Musk retorted that what Duffy had said was a "lie".{{Cite news |last1=Swan |first1=Jonathan |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |date=March 7, 2025 |title=Inside the Explosive Meeting Where Trump Officials Clashed With Elon Musk |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/us/politics/trump-musk-doge-power.html |access-date=March 11, 2025 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

In April 2025, Duffy announced federal funding would be cut for the Texas Central Railway line.{{cite web | url=https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/14/texas-high-speed-rail-planning-grant-cut/ | title=Trump officials cut planning grant for Texas high-speed rail between Dallas and Houston | date=April 14, 2025 }}

Sean Duffy engaged in climate change denial{{cite news |last1=Milman |first1=Oliver |title=Climate denial a unifying theme of Trump's cabinet picks, experts say |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/nov/27/trump-cabinet-picks-climate-change |access-date=28 January 2025 |work=The Guardian |date=27 November 2024}} on Fox Business in 2024, saying:

{{blockquote|If you say the climate's changing, is it coming from CO₂ or is it coming from the sun? Where is – why is the climate changing? And then you would say, let's have a rigorous debate about what is causing it, or what are all the factors that bring us to climate change? And when you have the left that says "we're gonna shut down alternative science or science that challenges our narrative," I think it makes people go "maybe there is a different set of priorities here as opposed to climate change, maybe it actually is an agenda of control."{{cite news |last1=Friedman |first1=Lisa |title=What Trump's Cabinet Picks and Advisers Say About Climate Change |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/04/climate/trump-cabinet-stefanik-zeldin-wright.html |access-date=28 January 2025 |work=The New York Times |date=4 December 2024}}}}

{{Election box begin no change

| title = 2010 U.S. Representative election for Wisconsin's 7th district

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Sean Duffy

|votes = 132,551

|percentage = 52.11

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Julie Lassa

|votes = 113,018

|percentage = 44.43

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Independent (politician)

|candidate = Gary Kauther

|votes = 8,397

|percentage = 3.30

}}

{{Election box candidate no change

|party = Write-ins

|candidate =

|votes = 423

|percentage = 0.17

}}

{{Election box total no change

|votes = 254,389

|percentage = 100.00

}}

{{Election box gain with party link without swing

|winner = Republican Party (United States)

|loser = Democratic Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change

|title = 2012 U.S. Representative election for Wisconsin's 7th district

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Sean Duffy (Incumbent)

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 201,720

| percentage = 56.1

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Pat Kreitlow

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 157,524

| percentage = 43.8

}}

{{Election box candidate no change

| candidate = Scattering

| party = none

| votes = 405

| percentage = 0.1

}}

{{Election box candidate no change

| candidate = Dale C. Hehner

| party = Write-In

| votes = 20

| percentage = 0.0

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 359,669

| percentage = 100.0

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no swing

| winner = Republican Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change | title=2014 U.S. Representative election for Wisconsin's 7th district}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Sean Duffy (incumbent)

|votes = 169,891

|percentage = 59.3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Kelly Westlund

|votes = 112,949

|percentage = 39.4

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Independent (United States)

|candidate = Lawrence Dale

|votes = 3,686

|percentage = 1.3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|candidate = Write-ins

| party = n/a

|votes = 77

|percentage = 0.0

}}

{{Election box total no change

|votes = 286,603

|percentage = 100.0

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change

| title = 2016 U.S. Representative election for Wisconsin's 7th district

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Sean Duffy (incumbent)

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 223,418

| percentage = 61.6

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Mary Hoeft

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 138,643

| percentage = 38.3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Write-ins

| party = n/a

| votes = 210

| percentage = 0.1

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 362,271

| percentage = 100.0

}}

{{Election box hold with party link no change

| winner = Republican Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change

| title = 2018 U.S. Representative election for Wisconsin's 7th district

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Sean Duffy (incumbent)

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 194,061

| percentage = 60.1

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Margaret Engebretson

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 124,307

| percentage = 38.5

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Ken Driessen

| party = Independent (United States)

| votes = 4,416

| percentage = 1.4

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Bob Look (write-in)

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 3

| percentage = 0.0

}}

{{Election box write-in with party link no change

| votes = 53

| percentage = 0.0

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 322,840

| percentage = 100.0

}}

{{Election box hold with party link without swing

|winner = Republican Party (United States)

}}

{{Election box end}}

• 2008 race for District Attorney of Ashland County, Wisconsin
• Sean Duffy (R) (inc.)
• unopposed
• 2006 race for District Attorney of Ashland County, Wisconsin
• Sean Duffy (R) (inc.)
• unopposed
• 2004 race for District Attorney of Ashland County, Wisconsin
• Sean Duffy (R) (inc.)
• unopposed
• 2002 race for District Attorney of Ashland County, Wisconsin
• Sean Duffy (R) (inc.)
• unopposed

File:Campos-Duffy introduced a book to Donald Trump.jpg in the Oval Office, 2019]]

Duffy is a practicing Catholic.{{cite news|url=http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Sean_P._Duffy|title=Sean Duffy|newspaper=WhoRunsGov/The Washington Post|access-date=November 16, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101114053006/http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Sean_P._Duffy|archive-date=November 14, 2010}} He is married to Rachel Campos-Duffy, a fellow alumna of The Real World and Fox News personality, whom he met when they were co-stars on Road Rules: All Stars.{{Cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2010/10/sean-duffys-real-world-reprise-043894|author=Hunt, Kasie|title=Sean Duffy's 'Real World' reprise|newspaper=Politico|date=October 20, 2010|accessdate=March 25, 2021|archivedate=September 23, 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923012734/https://www.politico.com/story/2010/10/sean-duffys-real-world-reprise-043894}}Campos-Duffy, Rachel. [http://www.parentdish.com/2007/12/19/i-m-expecting-my-5th-what-to-make-of-the-trend-in-bigger-famil/ "I'm Expecting My 5th: What To Make Of The Trend In Bigger Families"]. Parent Dish, December 19, 2007. They lived in Ashland, Wisconsin, when Duffy was District Attorney for Ashland County.{{cite web|url=https://duffyforwisconsin.com/meet-sean-duffy/|title=Meet Sean Duffy|author=Duffy, Sean|publisher=Duffy for Wisconsin|accessdate=March 25, 2021|archivedate=October 24, 2020|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024093511/https://duffyforwisconsin.com/meet-sean-duffy/}}[http://www.latina.com/reality-couples-rachel-campos "Reality Couples: Rachel Campos"]. Latina. Retrieved December 7, 2012.[http://www.weddingvideomovie.com/castandcrew.htm#rachel "Cast and Crew"]. The Wedding Video. Retrieved December 7, 2012. In late 2011, they moved to Weston so that Duffy would be closer to Central Wisconsin Airport for his commute to Washington, D.C., where he spent three or four days a week.{{Cite news |author=Olivo, Rick|date=October 19, 2011|url=https://www.apg-wi.com/sawyer_county_record/news/mr-duffy-moves-to-weston/article_ba3ab62b-b4b4-50dd-8e08-c091dcf5c316.html|title=Mr. Duffy moves to Weston|newspaper=Sawyer County Record|archive-date=December 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204060000/https://www.apg-wi.com/sawyer_county_record/news/mr-duffy-moves-to-weston/article_ba3ab62b-b4b4-50dd-8e08-c091dcf5c316.html}}{{Cite news |url=https://archive.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/rachel-camposduffy-balances-motherhood-with-activism-kk9t7d2-207073471.html/|author=Pabst, Georgia|title=Rachel Campos-Duffy balances motherhood with activism|newspaper=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|date=May 11, 2013|access-date=December 4, 2020|archive-date=August 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826125516/https://archive.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/rachel-camposduffy-balances-motherhood-with-activism-kk9t7d2-207073471.html/}}

As of August 2019, Duffy and his wife had eight children, and were expecting their ninth that October. On August 26, 2019, Duffy announced that because he and his wife learned that their ninth child would experience health complications, including a heart condition, he was resigning from Congress, effective September 23.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/wisconsin-gop-rep-sean-duffy-resign-over-baby-s-health-n1046421|title=Wisconsin GOP Rep. Sean Duffy says he's resigning over baby's health issues|publisher=NBC News|date=August 26, 2019|access-date=December 4, 2020|archive-date=August 26, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190826204537/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/wisconsin-gop-rep-sean-duffy-resign-over-baby-s-health-n1046421}} Their daughter, Valentina, was born on October 1, with Down syndrome.{{Cite news | url=https://www.today.com/parents/sean-duffy-rachel-campos-duffy-s-9th-child-born-down-t164165 | title=Sean Duffy and wife Rachel's 9th child born with Down syndrome | date=October 8, 2019 }}

In August 2021, Duffy purchased a home in Mendham Township, New Jersey, where he, his wife, and their children currently reside. He is the first New Jersey resident to serve in a presidential cabinet since Lisa P. Jackson, an East Windsor Township resident who was the administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency during the first presidency of Barack Obama.{{Cite web |last=Wildstein |first=David |date=2025-01-16 |title=Trump pick for Secretary of Transportation lives in New Jersey |url=https://newjerseyglobe.com/national/trump-pick-for-secretary-of-transportation-lives-in-new-jersey/ |access-date=2025-01-17 |website=New Jersey Globe |language=en-US}}

Duffy's nephew, Erik Johnson, is an American ice hockey defenseman for the Colorado Avalanche.{{Cite web|last=Dater|first=Adrian|title=Around the Rink: No Doubt the NHL Is in a Golden Age of Young Talent|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2673836-around-the-rink-no-doubt-the-nhl-is-in-a-golden-age-of-young-talent|date=November 3, 2020|access-date=2020-12-04|website=Bleacher Report|language=en|archive-date=November 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105124358/https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2673836-around-the-rink-no-doubt-the-nhl-is-in-a-golden-age-of-young-talent}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Sister project links |auto=yes}}

• [https://www.transportation.gov/meet-secretary/us-transportation-secretary-sean-duffy U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy]
• {{C-SPAN|623570}}
• {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315050333/http://duffy.house.gov/ |date=March 15, 2015 |title=Congressman Sean Duffy}}
• {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205054745/http://duffyforcongress.com/ |date=February 5, 2016 |title=Sean Duffy for Congress}}
• {{CongLinks | congbio=D000614 | votesmart=126238 | fec=H0WI07051 | congress=sean-duffy/2072 }}

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Category:1971 births

Category:21st-century members of the United States House of Representatives

Category:Catholic politicians from Wisconsin

Category:District attorneys in Wisconsin

Category:Fox News people

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