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GOP Rep. Sean Duffy announces resignation, citing family health concerns

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Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy, a Republican, announced Monday that he will be resigning from Congress. Politico first reported news of Duffy's departure. He later posted on his congressional Facebook page that he would be formally resigning on September 23 to spend more time with his family. 

Duffy wrote that he recently learned that his ninth child, who is due in October, has a heart condition and "will need even more love, time, and attention due to complications." 

"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," Duffy, 47, wrote. 

Next to marrying Rachel, representing you – the people and families of Wisconsin’s 7th District - in Congress has been...

Posted by Congressman Sean Duffy on Monday, August 26, 2019

First elected in 2010, Duffy was originally known as a cast member on MTV's classic reality show "The Real World" Boston edition in 1997. He currently has 8 children with wife Rachel Campos, an alum of the Real World's San Francisco cast.

He has been staunch supporter of President Trump, and has also been widely mentioned as a possible candidate for U.S. Senate or Wisconsin governor in 2022.  

Duffy is just the latest in a slew of Republican members of the House to announce their departure as of late. His resignation will now jump start a special election to fill the vacancy in the House.  

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US President Donald Trump, with US Congressman Sean Duffy (L), holds a tariff table as he speaks in the Cabinet Room of the White House on January 24, 2019. Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Images
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