Francesca Hong outpaces rivals in Wisconsin Senate race

Democratic rivals have avoided attacking Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong on the airwaves as she surges in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, according to NBC News ad-tracking data.

The unusual restraint follows Hong’s rapid rise in polls after winning the endorsement of the state Democratic Party in March. Her opponents—Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry, and Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson—have aired fewer than 1,000 total TV spots combined since early May, while Hong has gone up with over 2,000 ads in the same period.

Campaign finance records show Hong outraised every rival in the first quarter, pulling in $2.1 million to Baldwin’s $1.8 million, Lasry’s $1.5 million, and Nelson’s $800,000. Democratic strategists say the lack of attacks reflects both respect for her momentum and a tactical decision to avoid boosting a lesser-known candidate through negative ads. “Nobody wants to go negative against someone who’s on a roll,” said one Madison-based consultant who works with Wisconsin Democrats.

The primary is August 11, with the winner facing Republican Eric Hovde in November. If Hong wins, she would become the first openly gay person and the first Asian American elected to the Senate from Wisconsin. Her campaign’s disciplined messaging—focusing on abortion rights, worker wages, and protecting democracy—has kept rivals from defining her with attacks. Polls now show Hong leading Baldwin by 5 points among likely Democratic voters, a gap that has grown since early April.