Yee Leng Xiong
Yee Leng Xiong will face Republican incumbent State Treasurer John Leiber in November after winning the Democratic primary for Wisconsin state treasurer.
Xiong, a Marathon County supervisor and D.C. Everest School Board member, defeated Dylan Helmenstine, a Wisconsin Heights School Board member.
Xiong’s victory comes as another prominent Asian American and Pacific Islander candidate, state Rep. Francesca Hong, fell short in her bid for the Democratic nomination for governor. Hong, a Madison Democrat and the first Hmong American woman elected to the Wisconsin Legislature, narrowly lost to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.
Born in Wausau to Hmong refugees who fled persecution and communism, Xiong has spent years in public service and advocating for Wisconsin’s Hmong community.
He was elected to the D.C. Everest School Board in 2014, becoming the first Hmong American elected to the board, and joined the Marathon County Board in 2016.
Xiong previously led the Hmong American Center, where he helped grow its budget to $1.9 million, and chairs the Hmong Wausau Festival.
Xiong has made his experience managing public budgets and his background as the son of refugees central to his campaign.
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