Michael Alfonso, grandson of Cubans who escaped the communist regime, has made his family's history the focal point of his campaign to reach the United States Congress.
The 26-year-old Republican is competing in the primaries of the Republican Party for Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District, scheduled for August 11, and he claims that his grandparents' experiences explain his rejection of socialism and communism.
"We look across the country and see this radical rise of communism, of socialism, even right here in northern Wisconsin," he stated in an interview with the LiveNow program on Fox News.
«My grandparents came to this country from Cuba. I know something about socialism. It's communism. That's what it is. And it fails everywhere it's attempted,» he added.
Alfonso reiterated that message in a post on the social media platform X, where he directly linked his family's story to the political debate in the United States.
"The main Democratic candidate for governor is a socialist. The Democrats may call it socialism, but they are really referring to communism. The same communism from which my grandparents escaped in Cuba. We cannot allow that ideology to take root here," he wrote.
Her statements point to Francesca Hong, a state representative and figure of the democratic socialist wing of the Democratic Party, who leads the preferences for the Democratic primary for the governorship of Wisconsin, according to a survey by the Marquette Law School published on July 22.
The support of Trump and the circle of Sean Duffy
Alfonso's candidacy has the support of President Donald Trump, who officially endorsed him in January of this year and described him as a "MAGA warrior."
He has also received support from the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, as well as from four of the six Republican congressmen from Wisconsin.
In addition, he maintains a strong connection with one of the most influential figures in the state: he is married to Evita Duffy, daughter of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, a former representative of the same congressional district.
Duffy has actively participated in his son-in-law's campaign and transferred one million dollars from his old campaign account to a political action committee (super PAC) that supports his candidacy.
Thanks to that support, Alfonso is leading fundraising efforts among Republican candidates, having raised about $3.4 million between April and June of 2026.
Criticism within the Republican Party itself
Despite the support of the party's key figures, Alfonso's candidacy has also raised concerns within the Republican Party.
GOP leaders in several counties of the district are questioning their youth and limited political experience.
"I believe that what they are doing is morally wrong. There are many people with better credentials who know this district and will represent it better than Michael Alfonso," stated Tanner Hiller, chairman of the Iron County Republican Party.
His main rival in the primaries is Kevin Hermening, a 66-year-old former Marine who spent 444 days as a hostage in Iran following the takeover of the U.S. embassy in 1979, and who has a long history in Wisconsin's Republican politics.
In response to criticism regarding his age, Alfonso often replies by recalling that several of the Founding Fathers of the United States began their political careers at a very young age.
"I am a young man with the energy of a young man, but I have the values of someone who is sixty years old," he stated.
Graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2022, he worked in construction while studying and later participated for nearly a year in the podcast of conservative commentator Dan Bongino in Florida.
The Republican primaries on August 11 will determine whether Trump’s support, Sean Duffy’s political influence, and a campaign marked by the history of his Cuban grandparents are enough to propel Michael Alfonso to the United States Congress.
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