Republicans boost Francesca Hong as Wisconsin governor primary weak link

Republicans are pouring $2.2 million into the Wisconsin governor’s race in an apparent bid to boost Francesca Hong, a Madison Democrat they seem to view as their easiest general-election target. The strategy leans on a familiar gamble in Wisconsin politics: try to shape the other party’s primary by elevating the candidate most likely to stumble in November.

Hong entered the race in September 2025 after Gov. Tony Evers said on July 25, 2025, that he would not seek a third term. That decision opened a crowded Democratic field, and seven Democrats qualified for the Aug. 11 primary. Hong’s early fundraising was modest by comparison with her rivals: in reports covering July 1 through Dec. 31, 2025, she raised about $369,000 and reported about $135,000 in the bank, while Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley led the field with about $789,000.

The Democratic contest has remained unsettled enough that party leaders used their June convention in Madison as an early test of who might unite the party. Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez drew the most support there, but Hong was close behind, underscoring how divided the field remained as the primary approached. That uncertainty has made Hong, who has been described as a democratic socialist, a focal point in broader arguments over how far left Wisconsin Democrats can go in a state where moderates and independents often decide the outcome.

Republicans have their own presumptive front-runner. U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany won the Republican Party of Wisconsin’s endorsement at its May convention and received President Donald Trump’s backing in January. Tiffany has only one primary opponent, Andy Manske, a contrast that has left Republicans far more aligned than Democrats heading toward Aug. 11.

The effort to elevate Hong also reflects how much Wisconsin rewards hard-edged electoral calculation. The state has produced razor-thin statewide margins for years, and major campaigns have recently set record or near-record spending marks. In that environment, pushing millions into the other party’s nominating fight is not just a messaging tactic. It is an attempt to influence the shape of the race before voters even settle on a nominee for the Nov. 3 general election.