Sean Patrick Duffy (born October 3, 1971) is an American politician, former television presenter, lobbyist, attorney, and lumberjack serving as the United States secretary of transportation. Duffy has additionally served as the acting administrator of NASA since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the U.S. representative for Wisconsin's seventh congressional district from 2011 to 2019.
Born in Hayward, Wisconsin, Duffy was a professional lumberjack, competing in the city's Lumberjack World Championship for several years and winning multiple titles in speed climbing. In 1997, he appeared on The Real World: Boston, the sixth iteration of MTV's The Real World set in Boston, Massachusetts. Duffy later appeared on Road Rules: All Stars. As a lumberjack, he competed in ESPN's Great Outdoor Games (2000–2006) and was a commentator for the games. Duffy graduated from St. Mary's College of Minnesota with a degree in marketing and from the William Mitchell College of Law in 1999. He worked at his father's law practice for two years before becoming a special prosecutor for Ashland County. In 2002, Duffy was appointed as the district attorney of Ashland County, serving in the position until 2010.
In July 2009, Duffy announced that he would challenge Democratic U.S. representative Dave Obey. He defeated Julie Lassa, a Democrat who won the nomination after Obey announced he would not run for re-election, in the 2010 election for Wisconsin's seventh congressional district. Duffy was re-elected in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018. He resigned in September 2019 after complications involving his ninth child. After leaving Congress, Duffy worked for the consulting firm BGR Group. He began co-hosting Fox Business's The Bottom Line with Dagen McDowell in 2023. In November 2024, president-elect Donald Trump named Duffy as his nominee for United States secretary of transportation. Duffy was confirmed by the Senate in January 2025. On July 9, 2025, Duffy was also selected as acting administrator of NASA, replacing Janet Petro.
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