Rep. Tom Tiffany secured the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Wisconsin on Tuesday, positioning him for a general election contest against Democratic Rep. Francesca Hong.
The race to succeed outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who is not seeking a third term, is viewed as a significant flip opportunity for the Republican Party in the battleground state.
Tiffany, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, defeated medical service technician Andy Manske in the Republican primary. He has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. In a statement preceding the primary, Tiffany told Fox News Digital that Wisconsin "will be the firewall… We’ll be the place that stops socialism."
Francesca Hong, a state representative and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, is the likely Democratic nominee. Her platform includes proposals for guaranteed paid leave, raising the state minimum wage to $20 per hour, and a one-year moratorium on building AI data centers in Wisconsin. Hong has also faced scrutiny over past social media posts advocating for defunding and abolishing police, though she has stated she no longer supports those positions and is committed to public safety.
Additionally, Hong drew attention for a 2020 post suggesting the U.S. should "cancel Thanksgiving" to avoid "celebrating colonialism." She has since walked back those comments, calling Thanksgiving her "favorite holiday" and stating that she has "evolved" and "learned" from her past statements.
Pro-Republican super PACs reportedly spent millions of dollars to support Hong in the Democratic primary, seeing her as a weaker general election candidate for the Democrats.