Hijacking Campaign 2026 | Campaign 2026
Posted: July 16, 2026
Updated: August 13, 206
Based in Grafton, Wisconsin Future Rising was first organized in September 2025. According to its bare-bones website, the organization is an “independent expenditure committee committed to ensuring that our state’s future is fair, prosperous, and grounded in common-sense leadership. We support efforts that lift up Wisconsin’s working families, strengthen our communities, and keep our state moving forward.” Despite claiming status as an independent expenditure committee, it is not registered as such with the state or the Federl Elections Commission, nor has it filed any reports documenting spending in the 2025 election. For that matter, the only ad the group has run so far, better resembles an “issue ad.”
In mid-May the group premiered an ad promoting Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley for governor. The ad praised Crowley for fighting against Donald Trump’s policies while also emphasizing Crowley’s policy successes as county executive, with an emphasis on investments in affordable housing and cutting taxes. The ad ends by encouraging the viewer to contact Crowley and tell him “to keep fighting for a safe and affordable Wisconsin.” The ad’s ending is typical of an issue ad. By avoiding the word “vote” and instead admonishing the viewer to contact the ad’s subject, a committee can avoid reporting its spending on the ad to the state as independent expenditure.
When the first ad premiered, Crowley was one of seven candidates in the August 11th Democratic primary as current incumbent, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, is not running for reelection. At the time this was posted, Crowley was the second Democrat to suspend his campaign, reducing the active Democratic field to five. Since then, Crowley has reentered the race and Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez has withdrawn from the race. The winner of the primary will most likely face U.S. Congressman Tom Tiffany, the front-runner in the two-way GOP primary.
Shortly before the primary, Wisconsin Rising issued another ad appearing on YouTube, this one attacking Rep. Francesca Hong, one of Crowley's Democratic opponents. The ad dismisses Hong as a distraction and as the Republican choice and then proceeds to list issues on which Hong has taken extreme left-wing positions. The ad ends in typical issue ad fashion by urging viewers to contact Hong. A recent report suggests that one of the groups backing Hong with independent expenditures may be a Repbublican front group that wants the Democratic nomination to go the least electable candidate.