Trump-Endorsed Wisconsin Candidate Cites Family’s Cuban Refugee Past to Warn Against Socialism

Alfonso made the remarks on a Tuesday radio interview and repeated them in an October 2025 interview with DrydenWire. Commentators have noted that he is using his personal family history to frame an anti-socialist narrative in the GOP primary.

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Alfonso says his grandfather arrived in the United States in 1956 as a political refugee from Cuba, three years before Fidel Castro’s revolution. According to Alfonso, his grandfather and his wife—who was pregnant with Alfonso’s father—settled in Chicago, Illinois, where they built a new life.

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Sean Duffy, Transportation Secretary and Alfonso’s father-in-law, previously held Wisconsin’s 7th district seat for eight years. Duffy transferred $1 million from his former campaign account to a super PAC that supports Alfonso, as reported by PBS Wisconsin. President Donald Trump endorsed Alfonso in January, describing him as a “MAGA Warrior,” according to Spectrum News. The Republican primary for the seat is scheduled for Aug. 11, 2026.

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• “This rise of socialism here in the United States, it's a really scary thing, especially for me and my family,” — Michael Alfonso

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• “My grandfather came to the country in 1956 as a political refugee from Cuba,” — Michael Alfonso

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