Trump’s ‘firewall’ against socialism in battleground state punches ticket to election

Rep. Tom Tiffany is one step closer to capturing the governor's mansion in battleground Wisconsin for the Republican Party.

Tiffany, a hard-right member of the House Freedom Caucus who is backed by President Donald Trump, on Tuesday topped medical service technician Andy Manske to secure the Republican gubernatorial nomination, the Associated Press reported.

"This fight is bigger than any one party. It’s bigger than any one candidate. This fight is about Wisconsin and protecting the state we know and love. It’s about lowering property taxes, returning the surplus to you, getting utility costs under control, and letting hardworking Wisconsinites keep more of what they earn," Tiffany said in a statement after winning the primary.

Tiffany is expected to face off in the general election against far-left state Rep. Francesca Hong, who is likely to win the Democratic nomination for governor.

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Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, greets supporters at a campaign stop in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, on August 10, 2026. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

The winner in November will succeed Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who decided against seeking a third term in office. The race is a top gubernatorial flip opportunity for the GOP.

Hong, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), is running on a platform that includes guaranteed paid leave, boosting the state's minimum wage from $7.25 to $20 per hour, and a one-year moratorium in Wisconsin on building AI data centers. Hong has faced scrutiny over years-old social media posts calling for defunding and abolishing the police. But she says she no longer supports cutting police budgets or abolishing police departments.

"I'm not defunding the police, not abolishing police. I am serious about public safety," Hong emphasized on Saturday as she took questions from voters.

DEMOCRATIC GROUP LAUNCHES $15 MILLION WAR ON DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS: 'MORTAL DANGER'

Hong also made national headlines over the past two weeks for a resurfaced social media post from 2020 where she argued that the country should "cancel Thanksgiving" in order to "stop celebrating colonialism."

Hong walked back her Thanksgiving comments, amid backlash, and now says that Thanksgiving is her "favorite holiday."

On her resurfaced tweets, Hong told reporters on Saturday that she has "evolved" and "learned."

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Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin, a GOP gubernatorial candidate, speaks at a campaign event in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, on August 10, 2026. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

Pro-GOP super PACs, including one aligned with the Republican Governors Association, shelled out millions of dollars to boost Hong in the primary, as they viewed her as the weakest Democratic candidate.

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In a Fox News Digital interview on the eve of the primary, Tiffany said his state would be "the firewall… We’ll be the place that stops socialism."

And Tiffany, who grew up on a dairy farm, added, "Some people may not agree with a few of the policies that I'm for, but they know I'm genuine. They know I'm authentic."