I got my start as a community organizer working in the heart of Milwaukee. I was elected at the age of 25 to serve Wisconsin as a state legislator, and in 2018, I helped Tony Evers kick Scott Walker out of office to become the state’s first Black Lt. Governor. I’m running for Governor because Wisconsinites are in a bind. Costs are skyrocketing, gas prices are through the roof, tariffs are killing small businesses and family farms—and Donald Trump is doing nothing but making life harder. Wisconsinites are being failed by Trump’s Washington Way—as Governor, I’m going to get things done the Wisconsin Way. That means ending the corporate greed that is running rampant across the state and making life more affordable for every Wisconsin family.

There’s nothing more important to our democracy than ensuring every American has the ability to vote and make their voices heard in the halls of power. As Governor, I will do everything in my power to protect the security and freedom of our democracy and the rights of every Wisconsinite to cast a ballot. As Governor, I would fight to implement automatic voter registration across Wisconsin. As Trump and MAGA Republicans look at every single tool possible to disenfranchise voters, I will fight to make voting as free and fair as possible by ensuring every Wisconsinite is automatically registered when of legal age and residence so they can cast their ballot without obstruction.

Across Wisconsin, school districts have been starved of the resources they need because the state has failed to meet its constitutional obligation to provide its two-thirds funding share. When I am Governor, we will fully fund our schools to ensure that every child in every zip code has access to a high quality education. Right now, the state reimburses special education for voucher schools at 90 percent, while that rate for public schools is less than 30 percent. As Governor, I will fully reimburse those special education expenses. I will pass community schools legislation—which I authored as a state legislator—to strengthen the role of schools as a hub for community services, including after-school programs and wrap-around services.

I grew up in the heart of the 53206 zip code—the state’s poorest and the nation’s most incarcerated zip code—as the son of a proud union household. I got my start as a community organizer in Milwaukee, going door-to-door to fight for paid family leave and issues that would make a difference for families like mine. I know firsthand how Wisconsinites are living in a rigged and broken system where the rich get richer and richer while our families fall behind. Nowhere is that more clear than diverse communities across the state where far too many don’t have access to opportunity to get ahead. I am running to get things done the Wisconsin Way by taxing the rich, passing universal childcare, freezing utility rates and keeping Wisconsin safe.

Wisconsinites have been held back from progress for far too long. The election is critical and we can’t afford to let that opportunity go to waste, and as Governor I will get right to work on day one passing my Wisconsin Way agenda to lower costs. We will fight to end the paycheck-to-paycheck economy and usher in a new era of opportunity, starting on day one by calling a special session to expand BadgerCare and provide a public option. When I’m Governor, we will finally get this done to bring down healthcare costs, but the fight does not stop there. We will raise our minimum wage, tax the rich so we can cut taxes for middle class families, and repeal Act 10 to strengthen workers’ rights across the state.

I grew up one of eleven kids in Wisconsin, worked five jobs to get through college, and raised my family here with my wife, Audra. For 25 years, I've solved problems in government, business, and the nonprofit sector. In 2018, Governor Evers asked me to lead the Department of Administration. We rebuilt what Walker spent eight years gutting, growing the rainy-day fund to $1.7 billion and creating a surplus of nearly $4 billion. We delivered COVID aid to small businesses, farmers, and families.

As governor, my priorities are lowering costs on health care, housing, and child care, protecting voting and reproductive rights, and proving competent government can solve real problems. I know how our budgets work because I helped build them.

Wisconsin voters decide Wisconsin elections — not Washington. As governor, I'd protect election workers from threats, enhance penalties as necessary, defend early and absentee voting, and allow clerks to process mail-in ballots before Election Day so that counting is faster and more transparent. I'd push back publicly on election misinformation. And I'd use state law enforcement — the National Guard if needed — to ensure elections run smoothly and insulate polling places and election infrastructure from federal interference. I’ve done this already: at the Greater Milwaukee Committee, I convened business and civic leaders to publicly back the integrity of elections, and I look forward to what I can do with the full authority of the office.

The funding system is broken. 60 districts went to voters this spring just to keep their schools running, and the current system continues to pit taxpayers against students through all the referendums. I'd scrap the current formula and build one around the kid: every student starts with a base value, with added resources for English language learners, kids with IEPs, kids in rural or urban poverty. You fund the kid, not the zip code, which means students with disabilities actually get accounted for instead of falling through a formula written decades ago. I also support public school choice, including public charter schools. But private voucher schools drawing from the public school budget without accountability is a problem we must fix.

Wisconsin has some of the worst racial disparities in the country, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. These gaps didn't happen by accident, and they won't close without intentional focus and action. As governor, I'd direct every state agency to look at who their decisions actually help and who gets left behind. That means a maternal health system that addresses why black infants in Wisconsin die at far higher rates than white infants. It means funding schools based on what kids need, not their zip code. It means investing in violence prevention and diversion instead of just incarceration. This took decades to build. It's going to take real, sustained work to undo.

The Executive Branch has real tools, and I'll use them to deliver for Wisconsin families. I'll work with the legislature where I can, especially on health care, housing, and child care costs — and I am confident that we can make gains that allow for important issues to be addressed. Where the legislature won't act, or acts against working families, I'll use the partial veto and executive authority to protect people's pocketbooks. Families are getting squeezed by health care, housing, and child care costs, and they don't have time to wait on Madison. I've spent 25 years getting things done in government, business, and the nonprofit sector. I know how to find common ground when it's there, and how to roll up my sleeves and act when it's not.

My focus will be on making Wisconsin more affordable, strengthening public education, expanding access to health care, and creating economic opportunity in every corner of the state. That means tackling the housing shortage, lowering costs for working families, investing in our public schools, expanding apprenticeships and workforce training, and improving access to mental health care. I have spent my career delivering results, not just talking about them. As Milwaukee County Executive, I led major investments in housing, mental health, economic development, and public safety while building partnerships across political lines. I helped secure Act 12, one of the most significant local government funding reforms in decades.

As Governor, I will defend Wisconsin's constitutional authority over elections, protect every eligible citizen's right to vote, and safeguard the public servants who make our democracy work. That means using the courts, executive authority, and the veto pen to push back against federal overreach, political interference, or any effort to undermine free and fair elections. I will oppose attempts to make it harder for voters to cast a ballot or intimidate the poll workers who carry out this essential work. I support early voting, absentee voting, strong cybersecurity protections, and fair, nonpartisan maps. Democracy is strongest when every eligible voter can participate fully, every lawful vote is counted, and poll workers can do their jobs.

Every student deserves access to a high-quality public education regardless of their ZIP code, family income, or ability. I will work to restore Wisconsin's commitment to funding two-thirds of K-12 education costs, increase per-pupil aid, and modernize the school funding formula so resources reflect student needs. Communities should not have to go to referendum every few years just to keep the lights on or maintain basic educational services. I will make increasing special education reimbursement a top priority so schools are no longer forced to divert classroom dollars to meet federally mandated services. I support expanding access to school counselors, mental health services, career and technical education, and high quality childcare.

Wisconsin cannot reach its full potential while racial disparities continue to affect outcomes in education, health care, housing, economic opportunity, and the justice system. I will focus on addressing root causes by expanding access to quality education, affordable housing, health care, workforce development, and good-paying jobs.As Milwaukee County Executive, I treat racism as a public health crisis and led the county's first strategic plan in more than 20 years, focused on reducing disparities and improving outcomes. I will bring that same approach to state government, using data to identify disparities, targeting investments where they can make the greatest difference, and ensuring every Wisconsinite has opportunity to succeed.

I believe government should be a partner in helping people build stable, healthy and successful lives. As Governor, I will use every tool available from the state budget, executive agencies, and executive action to expand access to affordable health care, strengthen public education, increase housing opportunities, support working families, and protect fundamental rights. Success requires both leadership and collaboration. I will work with legislators, local governments, businesses, labor, educators, and community organizations to find common-sense solutions to Wisconsin's biggest challenges. My approach will be guided by outcomes: healthier families, stronger communities, greater economic opportunity, and a government that delivers results

My name is Francesca Hong. I’m a chef, a state representative, a single mom, a renter, and a proud daughter of Korean immigrants. My campaign focuses on permanent affordability, with ambitious policies that offer immediate impact: universal childcare; paid leave for all; fairer, cheaper healthcare; and public schools fully funded by making the super-rich and large corporations pay their fair share instead of tying school funding to property taxes. I am the only candidate in this race who supports a moratorium on data centers and the only candidate with a plan to protect Wisconsinites’ civil and labor rights in the face of an AI economy. I’m fighting for the working class because I *am* working class — and have been my entire life.

My “What Democracy Looks Like” package, made in consultation with election experts, is the only comprehensive election safety and voter protection package in this race. I call for the following: • 30-day early voting period with baseline but flexible accessibility requirements • Expanded qualifying materials for voter ID, on par with what’s needed to get a library card • Automatic voter registration at the DMV with opt-out permanent vote by mail • 24/7 legal support hotline for election workers, legal indemnity for poll workers complying with state instructions, collaboration with local law enforcement to secure and stress-test voting locations, and public observation areas for vote processing.

Public schools have been made to provide an ever-expanding set of services while enduring funding cuts and the siphoning of dollars to an unaccountable voucher program. Limitations on municipal revenue means Wisconsinites face an endless series of property tax referenda. I wrote a bill separating school funding from property taxes, instead fully funding public schools through a progressive income tax, including a new tax bracket on the millionth dollar of household income or corporate profit. Additionally—if schools serve as health centers, dental clinics, and family support programs, then we should fund them as such and allocate extracurricular funds to maintenance of essential services instead of asking schools to do more with less.

There is no characteristic inherent to one’s race which determines whether someone dies young or is bounced around the carceral system. Rather, this is a question of racism, both explicit and structural, which compounds issues like income and power inequality. Racism manifests in the redlining which shaped local investment and housing security, the inadequate response to the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women, and the labor abuses of undocumented farm workers. Investment alone cannot counteract this, but is an essential component: we must treat as partners the leaders who understand the issues their community faces and their potential solutions and allocate our state and municipal aid accordingly.

My campaign aims for a trifecta: we have turned out thousands of volunteers, many of them folks who campaigns don’t normally reach, inspired by a clear populist message — we believe our infrastructure can deliver both legislative chambers. Regardless, there is tremendous value in this governorship. After 15 years, our administrative capacity is emaciated and needs reconstruction — not imposed upon it but built as a partnership with internal expertise. Our most important oversight boards, like the PSC and the DNR Board of Directors, need ambitious, uncompromised advocates in leadership. As Governor, I won’t settle for half measures in negotiating a budget — my legislative career has shown that I can win even when working with Republicans.

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As governor I would pursue aggressive reform at the statewide level to empower WI citizens and protect them against worst case futures. I believe in a reimagined WI and would make that plan happen, pushing through the gridlock of Madison once and for all to deliver results regardless of control. Here's a taste. I would reduce the cost of living in WI by 30% in my term. Here is a list of statements I would make for every WI citizen regardless of political affiliation to bring the cost of living down. End markup on gas and gas tax (cash spent not on gas goes to rent, theaters, groceries, restaurants, sports, and our state economy via purchases). It doesn’t just vanish. End the tax on female products, as it only generates a small amount of our government revenue via surplus. That tax also goes into the state economy via purchases. Marijuana legalization with a set the table/liberty approach. Once legalized, marijuana will provide funds and go to the government for tax cuts.

I'm a big believer that elections should be secure, and nobody should leave election day feeling unsure if their vote was counted. Where Wisconsin's elections worked perfectly, and we never have videos, theories, and shady rumors existing. Elections that are verifiable and clean are very important. I will seek to make the process smoother, more efficient, and quicker on election night. I would seek Election Day to be a statewide day off, or holiday, so everyone can vote. I would seek to establish mail in ballots back to days before covid in which some groups like military personnel, the infirm and sick, and those with valid conditions can vote via mail and know their vote will be handled well. I believe ballots should be counted earlier and sooner, and more like Georgia and Florida, we would see results much sooner in the night. I want to avoid any embarrassment nationwide on TV. It's important to have security and full time coverage of ballots.

As weird as it sounds, I am a Republican who thinks public schools should see an increase in funds over time. It's called inflation, and you may have heard of it. Many schools statewide are struggling, as inflation has affected not just me and you as private citizens, but our schools themselves. The budget model has broken, and it's ok when inflation comes to acknowledge inflation came, and schools may need help to adjust. I am disgusted by how inflation at 40% in WI over 8 years affected the citizens and can only imagine what a small amount would do to tough school budgets. I would seek to modernize and claw back funds so schools and citizens are able to do better physically, emotionally, and economically. I believe in levers in government we can adjust to do just this kind of funding. As a medical worker I don't skip out on those with disabilities, and I don't let down kids who deserve a bright and hopeful future.

I believe many of my policies, like "Republican Police Reform: Trusted, Accountable, Strong Police"; marijuana legalization with commonsense rules and laws for the populace; Homes (cost of homes & new homes), apartments (depend on the homes' policy), AI government adjustments, the college reform plan, dirt cheap energy, and the various tax cuts are all means of addressing "systemic racial disparities." Marijuana legalization with commonsense rules and regulations could result in individuals harmed by, say, President Joe Biden’s 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which heavily expanded harsh, mandatory minimum drug penalties, seeing freedom after decades. My solution of a facility to monitor and help release prisoners and the homeless to join public life is innovative. Having cheaper homes and rent helps the community vastly. Any adjustments/tax cuts mean they have an easier chance in life.

I would use the powers of the governor's office to bully the state assembly and state senate. I do not care which party wins, but obviously I would have my preference. No matter what, the gridlock ends. The never ending vacations end. For too long WI Democrats and WI Republicans have failed the people of WI in the chambers of WI. Tony Evers never did special sessions on housing. Republicans and Democrats in the assembly were both bipartisan in voting to block the plan earlier this year. I am done with waiting for real help for regular citizens of WI like my wife and me. I put my own personal life on the line to deliver a better future. For my wife and me, for my communities I work in, for my fellow church members, and for those who are pregnant in an environment that is hostile to having children if she wants one. I speak for the hardworking people regardless of race. We deserve better as WI citizens! Yes, I would protect the health, financial well being, and rights of Wisconsinites.

I've spent my career running toward problems, not away from them—as a nurse on the front lines, as a CDC disease detective deploying around the world to meet crises head-on, and as your Lieutenant Governor working alongside Governor Evers to protect Wisconsin's progress through divided government and the chaos coming out of Washington.

As governor, I'll bring that same fight to what matters most: lowering health care costs through BadgerChoice, a public option that reduces premiums and makes health care universally available in the Badger State; fully funding our public schools while delivering real property tax relief through my Wisconsin Promise plan; and holding utility companies accountable so working families aren't buried by rising bills.

I know how to show up when it counts, and how to make government work for people. That's how I've always led, and it's how I'll govern.

Wisconsin's elections work because they're run close to home by local clerks and our nonpartisan Elections Commission, and I'll protect that from anyone who wants to seize control or sow doubt.

In the Assembly, I co-sponsored legislation to make registration easier at the DMV and for people applying for assistance, to protect voters from intimidation and suppression, and to move toward automatic registration.

I backed the effort to shut down the partisan review of the 2020 election and stood up for the election officials who ran it with integrity.

My standard is simple: voting should be easy to do and hard to mess with. As governor, I'll defend tools that let working people cast a ballot: no-excuse absentee voting, secure return, early voting hours, keep the rules stable so no one finds the goalposts moved, make sure every voter's information is protected, and no voter is subjected to intimidation at the polls.

Elections belong to voters. That's not partisan. That's democracy.

Wisconsin's constitution promises every child a quality public education. For more than a decade, the state has broken that promise—starving neighborhood schools through deliberate disinvestment and forcing districts to referendums just to keep the lights on.

That's why I put forward the Wisconsin Promise, my plan to make the state do its part. It raises the state's share of K-12 funding and sets a path to full funding, so every school—in every ZIP code—can plan and hire instead of leaning on property taxpayers.

It modernizes our outdated funding formula, so dollars follow student need, weighted for poverty, English learners, and students with disabilities. It fully funds special education at sum sufficient, so no district has to pull from general classrooms. And it creates reliable funding so districts can hire and keep paraprofessionals, counselors, nurses, and social workers students rely on.

The state does its job, so our schools can do theirs.

I approach this through a public health lens. Disparities are rooted in the conditions people live in. I'll treat public health as economic development—a clinic, job, and safe street belong in the same strategy.

I'll expand state banking to include minority institutions and CDFIs, so public dollars help build capital in communities that have been shut out.

I'll prioritize funding for the students furthest behind, fight to expand coverage through BadgerChoice, invest in maternal and infant health where the need is greatest, and ensure clinics and hospitals in rural communities don't close through the rural stabilization fund.

Change how we meet addiction and mental illness in our schools and communities—a clinician, not a squad car.

No one's future should be defined by their hardest moment; when someone's done the work to move forward, an old conviction shouldn't keep them from a job, a home or full participation in Wisconsin's economy.

We close the gaps by fixing the causes.

I'll protect the progress we've made and keep Wisconsin moving forward. The governor doesn't do that alone—the job is to propose, build coalitions, use the veto to stop harm, and stand up to Washington when it threatens Wisconsin families.

No matter the makeup of the Legislature, the margins will be narrow—so we have to work together and prioritize what Wisconsinites are telling us, overwhelmingly, they want and need. I've kept strong relationships across the aisle, and I've won the kind of districts that require it.

On health, I'll fight to expand affordable coverage through BadgerChoice and to protect Wisconsinites against the coming federal cuts to Medicaid and Medicare. On financial well-being, I'll work to lower everyday costs—holding utilities accountable and delivering property tax relief by having the state do its share to fund our schools. On rights, I'll defend the freedom to vote, reproductive freedom, and equal treatment under the law for every Wisconsinite.

I am running for governor to deliver higher wages, lower costs, better public schools, and more freedom for Wisconsinites. Our country is in a moment of crisis. We need a fighter who knows how to deliver. For 25 years, I have taken on powerful interests and passed progressive legislation in the toughest political environments as an attorney, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin, small business owner, and experienced State Senator and Assembly leader. With a more than two decade track record of turning good ideas into law, I know how to use political power to make the transformative changes we need, and I have detailed plans for how to enact these policies into law. This is a once-in-a-generation chance -- we mustn't waste it.

We must increase voter participation and civic engagement at a time of dangerous federal overreach. I support independent redistricting, a constitutional amendment prohibiting gerrymandering, and citizen-led initiative and referendums. I'll expand early and mail voting, end voter suppression, and enable ballot access innovations like instant runoff, ranked choice, and fusion voting. As one of the first candidates in the US to reject corporate PAC funding, I'll end Citizens United using corporate laws, require independent spending to follow campaign finance limits and disclosure laws, and pass public financing. As a legal observer, I know our elections are safe, and I'll oppose all interference, disinformation, and intimidation attempts.

As the mom/stepmom of 5, making our public schools the best in the nation is my top priority. WEAC, our teacher’s union, has endorsed me as the best candidate for public education. We need to meet the state’s two-thirds funding commitment to public education and reimburse special education at 90%, while fixing the state’s broken funding formula so that every child in every district gets the funds needed to educate them, rather than an arbitrary, decades-old amount. This will take the burden off property taxpayers and end the divisive referendums dividing communities. Finally, I'm the only candidate with a plan to finally phase out and end the private voucher scheme taking resources from our schools. Public dollars belong in public schools.

Wisconsin is the worst place to raise a Black child, and that’s unacceptable. My policies are universal but will help reduce and eliminate racial disparities, starting with paid family leave, Baby Bonds, and universal affordable early childhood education. Equitable K12 funding and reinvesting in public higher ed to allow two years of free college, will open doors of opportunity for all Wisconsinites. Raising the minimum wage, restoring collective bargaining rights, and expanding access to capital will help increase economic security, as does opening up the state health insurance and pension plans to let anyone buy in. As a longtime champion for criminal justice reform, using evidence-based policies will make us safer while saving tax money.

The most transformational governors in my lifetime were Walker and Thompson – long-term legislators, and unfortunately both Republicans. To move from playing goalie to governing, Dems need our most experienced, effective leader, and one who has the courage of her convictions. My substantive policy knowledge, procedural know-how, bipartisan track record, and relationships across our state will make me highly effective no matter who's in control, and very electable. This moment demands moral clarity, political courage, and the willingness to use power to actually deliver. Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton says "Kelda is the only candidate who ticks every box – able to beat Tom Tiffany, ready to govern on day one, and fearless in her leadership.”

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