Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Sean Duffy
How Sean Duffy built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Sean Patrick Duffy is an American politician and attorney. He is the current U.S. Secretary of Transportation, serving since January 2025, and the acting administrator of NASA since July 2025. A Republican, he previously represented Wisconsin's 7th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019. Prior to his congressional service, Duffy was the District Attorney of Ashland County, Wisconsin, from 2002 to 2010.
1969: Dave Obey as Representative
In 1969, Dave Obey started his service as the United States representative for Wisconsin's seventh congressional district, which Sean Duffy later considered challenging.
1997: Appearance on The Real World: Boston
In 1997, Sean Duffy appeared on "The Real World: Boston".
1998: Filming for Road Rules: All Stars
In 1998, Sean Duffy began filming for "Road Rules: All Stars".
June 2002: Appointment as District Attorney
In June 2002, Sean Duffy was appointed as the district attorney of Ashland County following Michael Gableman's resignation.
2002: Winner of Real World/Road Rules Challenge
In 2002, Sean Duffy appeared in and won "Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons".
2002: District Attorney of Ashland County
In 2002, Sean Duffy became the District Attorney of Ashland County.
2002: Appointment as District Attorney
In 2002, Sean Duffy was appointed as the district attorney of Ashland County by Wisconsin Governor Scott McCallum.
June 2003: Considering Challenge to Dave Obey
In June 2003, Sean Duffy considered challenging representative Dave Obey in the 2004 election.
2003: Commentator for Great Outdoor Games
In 2003, Sean Duffy was named as a commentator for the Great Outdoor Games.
February 2004: Declined to Challenge Obey
In February 2004, Sean Duffy declined to challenge Dave Obey, citing his wife's pregnancy.
2004: Wisconsin Delegate
In 2004, Sean Duffy served as a Wisconsin delegate in the Republican National Convention and the presidential election.
May 2005: Candidate for United States Attorney
In May 2005, Sean Duffy was forwarded as one of four candidates to succeed J. B. Van Hollen as the United States attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin.
2006: Re-elected as District Attorney
In 2006, Sean Duffy was re-elected as District Attorney.
2008: Re-elected as District Attorney
In 2008, Sean Duffy was re-elected as District Attorney.
July 2009: Announcement to Challenge Dave Obey
In July 2009, Sean Duffy announced his intention to challenge Democratic U.S. representative Dave Obey.
July 2009: Indication to Run for Representative
In July 2009, Sean Duffy indicated he would run for representative.
January 2010: Campaign Hit US$300,000
In January 2010, Duffy's campaign hit US$300,000, setting a record and making the campaign eligible for the National Republican Congressional Committee's Young Guns program.
May 2010: Obey Announced Retirement
In May 2010, Dave Obey announced that he would not be running for re-election, leading to the Duffy campaign being promoted within the Young Guns program.
2010: End of term as District Attorney of Ashland County
In 2010, Sean Duffy completed his term as the district attorney of Ashland County.
2010: Announcement to Challenge Obey
In 2010, Sean Duffy formally announced that he would challenge Dave Obey in the election.
2010: Election to Congress
In 2010, Sean Duffy was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Wisconsin's 7th congressional district.
2010: End of term as District Attorney
In 2010, Sean Duffy's service as the District Attorney of Ashland County concluded.
June 2011: Wisconsin State Assembly Approved Congressional Map
In June 2011, the Wisconsin State Assembly approved a congressional map that would politically benefit Sean Duffy, with the intention of securing his seat.
July 2011: Proposed Oversight Panel Bill
In July 2011, Sean Duffy proposed a bill to install a five-member oversight panel to control the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
2011: U.S. Representative for Wisconsin
In 2011, Sean Duffy began serving as the U.S. Representative for Wisconsin's 7th congressional district.
2012: Spoke at Republican National Convention
In 2012, Sean Duffy spoke at the Republican National Convention.
2012: Re-elected to Congress
In 2012, Sean Duffy was re-elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
November 2014: Chairman of Financial Services Subcommittee
In November 2014, Sean Duffy was named as the chairman of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.
2014: Re-elected to Congress
In 2014, Sean Duffy was re-elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
October 2015: Named to House Select Investigative Panel
In October 2015, Sean Duffy was named to the House Select Investigative Panel on Planned Parenthood.
April 2016: Introduced Puerto Rico Oversight Act
In April 2016, Sean Duffy introduced the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act to address the Puerto Rican government-debt crisis.
2016: Re-elected to Congress
In 2016, Sean Duffy was re-elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
2018: Re-elected to Congress
In 2018, Sean Duffy was re-elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
January 2019: Proposed Bill to Expand Tariff Authority
In January 2019, Sean Duffy proposed a bill that would have expanded presidential tariff authority.
August 26, 2019: Announcement of Resignation
On August 26, 2019, Sean Duffy announced his resignation from Congress due to complications involving his ninth child.
September 2019: Resignation from Congress
In September 2019, Sean Duffy resigned from Congress due to his newborn daughter's health complications.
October 2019: Hired as CNN Contributor
In October 2019, CNN hired Sean Duffy as a paid contributor.
2019: End of term as U.S. Representative
In 2019, Sean Duffy's service as the U.S. Representative for Wisconsin's 7th congressional district concluded.
2020: Spoke at Republican National Convention
In 2020, Sean Duffy spoke at the Republican National Convention.
December 2021: Co-authored "All American Christmas"
In December 2021, Duffy co-authored the book "All American Christmas" with his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy.
2021: Podcast with Rachel Campos-Duffy
In 2021, Sean Duffy and his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, began a podcast, "From the Kitchen Table: The Duffys".
2023: Co-hosting "The Bottom Line"
In 2023, Sean Duffy began co-hosting "The Bottom Line" on Fox Business with Dagen McDowell.
November 2024: Nomination for U.S. Secretary of Transportation
In November 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Sean Duffy for U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
November 18, 2024: Nomination Announced
On November 18, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate Sean Duffy for U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
2024: End of podcast From the Kitchen Table: The Duffys
In 2024, Sean Duffy and his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, concluded the podcast "From the Kitchen Table: The Duffys".
January 2025: Appointed U.S. Secretary of Transportation
In January 2025, Sean Duffy began serving as the 20th U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
January 28, 2025: Confirmation as U.S. Secretary of Transportation
On January 28, 2025, Sean Duffy was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
June 2025: Calls for free trade in aerospace at Paris Air Show
In June 2025, at the Paris Air Show, Duffy advocated for free trade within the aerospace industry.
July 1, 2025: Directs governors to remove non-standard road markings
On July 1, 2025, Duffy instructed state governors to eliminate non-standard and distracting road markings from roadways, intersections, and crosswalks, citing safety concerns and preventing the use of road markings for political or artistic purposes, acting under the Federal Highway Administration's "SAFE ROADS" initiative.
July 9, 2025: Named acting administrator of NASA
On July 9, 2025, President Trump appointed Duffy as the acting administrator of NASA, replacing Janet Petro.
July 2025: Appointed Acting Administrator of NASA
In July 2025, Sean Duffy also began serving as the acting administrator of NASA.
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