Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany secured the GOP nomination for Wisconsin governor on Tuesday, defeating primary challenger Andy Manske with 96.4% of the vote, according to the Associated Press. Tiffany will now face Democratic state Rep. Francesca Hong in the November general election, following her likely victory in the Democratic primary.
Tiffany’s primary win comes after he announced his bid in September 2025 to replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who did not seek a third term. Manske, a 27-year-old medical service technician, trailed with 3.5% of the vote. Tiffany, endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has represented Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District since 2020.
Tiffany framed his campaign around lowering property taxes, returning state surpluses to residents, and reducing utility costs. In a post-primary statement, he emphasized a broader fight to protect Wisconsin’s identity, stating, “This fight is about Wisconsin and protecting the state we know and love.”
On the Democratic side, Hong is expected to win the nomination after emerging as the party’s likely standard-bearer. Her campaign has centered on expanding paid leave, raising the state minimum wage to $20 per hour, and imposing a one-year moratorium on AI data center construction. Hong, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), has faced scrutiny over past social media posts, including 2020 remarks calling for defunding police. She has since clarified her stance, stating she no longer supports abolishing or defunding police departments.
The general election will determine whether Wisconsin’s governorship flips from Democratic to Republican control for the first time since 2019. Both candidates will campaign ahead of the November vote to succeed Evers, who has held the office since 2019.