Tom Tiffany aligns himself with Trump as he runs to replace outgoing Congressman Sean Duffy

State Sen. Tom Tiffany aligned himself Tuesday with President Donald Trump as he jumped into the race for Congress in northern Wisconsin.

"I’m the ally @realDonaldTrump needs to keep moving our country forward," Tiffany wrote in a post on Twitter as he headed across the Northwoods to promote his candidacy. 

The Hazelhurst Republican is the first major candidate to enter the race to replace GOP U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy, who is stepping down Sept. 23 because of health problems with the baby he and his wife, Rachel, are expecting.  

Tiffany — who backed U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas over Trump in the 2016 presidential primary — praised Trump's trade deal with Canada and Mexico but otherwise declined to say what he thought of Trump's trade policies.   

“We’re going to be really getting into some of those policy issues as we go along," Tiffany said at a stop in Schofield. "Today I’m out introducing myself to the voters across the state."

It is unclear whether Tiffany will draw strong primary challengers.

Jason Church, a retired Army officer who was awarded a Purple Heart after losing both legs in combat in Afghanistan, is considering a run. So is Wausau surgeon Fernando "Fritz" Riveron, according to a message he posted on Facebook. 

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers hasn't said when the special election will be held, but it could come as soon as the end of this year. Whoever wins will have to immediately run again because the regular election will be held in November 2020.  

"There's been too much 'I' in Washington. We need more 'we,' as in 'we the people,'" Tiffany said at a stop in a Rhinelander supper club that was live-streamed on his Facebook page. "If you elect me, we the people in Wisconsin, we will be heard."

Democrats quickly dubbed Tiffany "toxic" because of legislation he sponsored that eased environmental protections to clear the way for a massive proposed iron mine in Ashland and Iron counties. The company planning the mine abandoned the project in 2015. 

"It's a sad day for the Republican Party when they rally around a candidate as unelectable as someone known as 'Toxic Tom Tiffany,'" said a statement from Ben Wikler, chairman of the state Democratic Party. "Wisconsin Republicans love gerrymandering, but it's hard to gerrymander your way out of a record like that."

The district has a Republican bent. Duffy won 60% of the vote in 2018 and 62% of the vote in 2016. 

PROFILE:Tom Tiffany has been a lightning rod on environmental issues

Tiffany made his first stop at the Al-Gen Dinner Club in Rhinelander, where he was introduced by the owner, GOP Rep. Rob Swearingen. There, Tiffany praised Duffy for his optimism and argued Democrats have a socialist agenda. 

"Any government that has the power to tell you what light bulb to put into a socket or to tell the cooks at your school what they should be serving, we should be fearful of because they have the power to take away our freedom," he said. "And we should never allow that to happen."

"So our president is correct — are we socialists or are we Americans? Socialism crushes optimism. Liberty and freedom will overcome the darkness of socialism."

He promised to protect gun owners' rights, oppose abortion and push for deregulation. 

"The president is correct," he said. "We’ve got plenty of laws. We do not need more laws. ... Giving more power to the swamp in Washington stifles and strangles opportunity for Americans."

In addition to the stops in Rhinelander and Schofield, Tiffany planned Tuesday to visit Cadott and Hudson. On Wednesday he's to be in Rice Lake, Hayward and Superior.

Also Tuesday, former Americans for Prosperity leader Luke Hilgemann announced he would not run for Duffy's seat. He threw his support to Tiffany.

Patrick Marley reported from Madison. USA TODAY Network-Wisconsin reporters Natalie Brophy in Schofield and Molly Beck in Madison contributed to this report.

Contact Patrick Marley at patrick.marley@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @patrickdmarley.