MADISON – Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary is on track to be a scramble to the finish line, while Republican candidate Tom Tiffany is amassing a sizable supply of cash as he awaits his general election opponent.
The Republican congressman reported taking in $8.7 million this year, nearly three-quarters of which the Republican Party of Wisconsin transferred into his account. He had just shy of $3 million on hand at the end of June, finance reports filed Wednesday show.
Meanwhile, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes brought in the most money in the five-person Democratic field this year at $841,358, followed by state Rep. Francesca Hong at $708,884. Hong had the most cash on hand at the end of June at $410,563, followed by state Sen. Kelda Roys at $406,493.
Candidates filed their second round of finance reports in the gubernatorial race on July 15. The latest reports come after the bombshell revelation that Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez’s campaign infrastructure is in disarray just as she had embarked on a swing of momentum and as a Republican group is set to run $2.2 million in ads Democrats say will boost Hong in the primary.
Political strategists from both parties now have an eye toward two more data points between now and the Aug. 11 primary: the July 22 release of the first Marquette University Law School poll on the race since March and the July 28 Democratic debate hosted by WISN-TV.
Internal and statewide polling has shown over the course of the race that most decided Democratic voters favor former Barnes, Hong or Rodriguez.
Roys and former Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan have consistently trailed the top candidates in polls, but both said they’ve seen renewed interest in their campaigns in the days since Rodriguez announced she had fired her campaign manager after she said she discovered her account was more than $1 million short of what she believed she had.
Francesa Hong fundraising total draws notice
Both Democratic strategist Joe Zepecki and Republican strategist Bill McCoshen said they were surprised to see such a robust haul for Hong, a democratic socialist who has maintained momentum since she launched her underdog campaign in September 2025. Hong was second-to-last in Democratic fundraising in January.
Hong’s campaign said she has received contributions from 13,323 unique donors over the course of her campaign, and 76% of her funds have come from within Wisconsin.
“There are three people who can win this primary,” Zepecki said – Hong, Barnes and, despite her campaign’s recent struggles, Rodriguez.
“She’s clearly down, but not out,” Zepecki said of Rodriguez.
McCoshen said he sees Hong as “the clear frontrunner,” adding that Barnes’ “best day was the day he announced.”
“I don’t see a path for her to win,” McCoshen said of Rodriguez. “She can certainly play spoiler. You know, Republicans would love to have her be the general election candidate at this point, after the week she’s had.”
The lieutenant governor, who announced late Sunday night she had fired her campaign manager after she said she discovered her account was more than $1 million short of what she believed she had, reported a cash balance of $34,991, but also reported $152,276 in outstanding debts that include invoices for her state-funded security and a recently hired public relations firm.
In a statement after her report was filed, Rodriguez’s campaign said it is “actively working to ensure our financial records are accurate and complete.”
The campaign has not answered additional questions about its report except to say that a $1,500 contribution recorded to the Wisconsin Federation of Republican Women was filed incorrectly and should be to the Democratic Party of Milwaukee County. The campaign also said it has raised $219,307 since July 1.
Strategist says Sara Rodriguez is still in the race
Because she has continued to raise money and not lost prominent endorsements, Zepecki said he believes Rodriguez is still in the fight.
“The fact that she has withstood the wobble and held on to everyone who’s endorsed her, including people who endorsed her in the week before this story broke, tells me that they’re not going anywhere,” Zepecki said. “That’s the moment to get off the ship if you’re going to get off the ship.”
The approximate total fundraising reported by each candidate for the duration of their campaigns are: $1.4 million for Barnes, $1.2 million for Brennan, $1 million for Hong and $883,000 for Roys. Rodriguez’s overall total is still unknown.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and former Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. CEO Missy Hughes, who both ended their campaigns and endorsed Rodriguez, ended the period with $315,179 and $25,788 on hand, respectively.
Jessie Opoien can be reached at jessie.opoien@jrn.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Republican Tiffany builds campaign cash as Democrats battle in primary
Reporting by Jessie Opoien, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Jessie Opoien, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
