By Shereen Siewert
Wausau attorney Christine Bremer Muggli will not run for the state’s vacant U.S. 7th Congressional seat, according to a news release issued Monday.
U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy, the Republican who has served the state’s 7th Congressional District since 2011, announced his resignation in a post Aug. 26 on his Facebook page and stepped down on Sept. 23. Duffy disclosed in his post that he recently learned that his ninth child, due in October, has a heart condition and “will need even more love, time, and attention due to complications.”
Bremer Muggli said she received messages from many friends and colleagues urging her to run for the seat, but she will instead continue her work as an attorney.
“For over 40 years I have been proud to provide legal representation to the people of northern and central Wisconsin. I have had thousands of conversations with people I have represented, discussing their hopes, their fears, and their struggles,” she wrote. “It is clear that today folks are suffering the effects of crumbling infrastructure, lack of accessible internet connections, underfunded schools, a threatened environment, the loss of dairy farms, and difficulty in finding adequate and affordable health care. There is no question but that we need strong representation to address all of these concerns. With the current Congress in the throes of an impeachment inquiry, it becomes even more urgent to find the best person to serve.”
A primary to narrow the field to one Democrat and one Republican candidate will be held Dec. 30. The winner of the Jan. 27 special election will serve through the end of 2020. The next election is in November 2020.
Wisconsin’s 7th District is the state’s largest congressional district geographically. State Sen. Tom Tiffany, R-Hazelhurst, announced earlier this month he would run for the seat. Also running is Jason Church, an Army veteran who lost both his legs in Afghanistan and now works for Sen. Ron Johnson.
No democrats have yet come forward as candidates, but several are expected to announce their intentions this week.
“I thank you again for your encouraging words and look forward to standing with you as we work together to bring strong representation to the north,” Bremer Muggli said.
