A United States Senator is stepping down from his position in the House of Representatives in order to help care for his family, after he and his wife found out there were complications in their ninth pregnancy.
U.S. Senator Sean Duffy, who serves as the U.S. Representative for Wisconsin’s 7th congressional district announced on Facebook that he'l be stepping down from his position as of September 23rd. The former reality TV star and his wife, Fox News contributor Rachel Campos-Duffy, are expecting their ninth child but found out that there will be some difficult health complications.
Next to marrying Rachel, representing you – the people and families of Wisconsin’s 7th District - in Congress has been the highest honor of my life. Together, we have engaged in the most important battles of our time: protecting freedom of speech and religious liberty, taking care of our veterans, defending the unborn, and saving American jobs and American capitalism.After eight and a half years, the time has come for me to focus more on the reason we fight these battles – family.
As you all know, raising a family is hard work. It's especially true for one as large and busy as mine. Being away from home in Washington four days a week is challenging and for that reason, I have always been open to signs from God when it comes to balancing my desire to serve both my family and my country.Recently, we’ve learned that our baby, due in late October, will need even more love, time, and attention due to complications, including a heart condition. With much prayer, I have decided that this is the right time for me to take a break from public service in order to be the support my wife, baby and family need right now. It is not an easy decision – because I truly love being your Congressman – but it is the right decision for my family, which is my first love and responsibility.
On September 23, I will step down and allow others to step forward to begin laying out their own vision and plans for leading this beautiful district and the most honest, hard-working, family-oriented, patriotic, and God-fearing constituents in America.I will be forever grateful for and humbled by the faith and sacred trust you have put in me all these years. I am especially grateful for the prayers said on behalf of our family. We hope they keep coming! I will miss being your Congressman, but I am also looking forward to having more time with my family, being home for more birthdays and hockey games, and having time to enjoy and care for our new baby girl, who is already so loved by our family.
A special thank you to my chief of staff, Pete Meachum, my district director, Jesse Garza, and the rest of my loyal and competent district & DC staff. They are the reason you have enjoyed the best and most attentive customer service this district has ever had to resolve your federal issues and problems. I am so proud of what they do and have full confidence they will continue to seamlessly provide these valuable services during the coming transition.
It must be hard for the Congressman to step down, but it tells you the severity of the complications that the family is about to face.
Campos-Duffy also spoke our about her husband's decision.
I am so proud of my husband for having the courage to put our baby and our family first. What has made him a great Congressman are the same things that make him a great husband and dad. Knowing how much Sean loves Wisconsin and America, I know he will not go quietly into the night.He’ll continue to fight for America in different, new and exciting ways. But for now, our focus is on a little, beautiful American girl who is yet to be born. Once we bring her safely into the world and get her healthy and acclimated to our crazy, big family, we’ll see what else God has in store for us. Thank you to every single person who has helped Sean’s campaign, prayed for our family, and fought with us to save America and the American Dream.
We are always amazed by your love, generosity, and patriotism. Sean, I could not be more proud of your almost 9 years of service to our country. You did it all with dignity, compassion, and a fun-loving energy that made everyone want to be a part of what you were doing!To all of Sean’s team and supporters, may God bless you all and please continue to keep the Duffys in your prayers! 🇺🇸❤️
In the past, Campos-Duffy has talked about how having a big family is a lot of hard work, but it almost gets easier as you grow.
“There are a lot of blessings from being a big family, but there’s also a lot more work," she said. "My kids understand that we are a team and we have to work together, so I don’t do it all by myself. I have an incredibly wonderful woman who helps with the babysitting when I travel; my husband is an amazing partner."
That being said, Campos-Duffy says that after the first child, things seem to fall into place.
“I think the advantage of having eight kids is that, first of all, it was harder for me when I had my first child. I think the first child is absolutely the hardest,” she shared. “And a lot of times, first-time moms look at me and they’re like, ‘Oh my God.’ And I always remind them that my first child was the hardest, because it’s such a change.”
“You lose your freedom, you don’t know what you’re doing, you have so many more questions about how it works,” she continued. “And what happens when you have a lot more kids is you gain more confidence, you figure out what’s necessary, what’s not, and you learn to manage your time better as a mom with kids who are over the age of 10.”
The couple has been married for 20 years, and share kids Patrick Miguel, Margarita, Maria-Victoria Margarita, Paloma Pilar, John-Paul, Lucia-Belén, Xavier Jack and Evita Pilar — ranging in age from 3 to 19.
