Establishment-backed David Crowley narrowly defeated democratic socialist Francesca Hong in the Wisconsin governor’s primary early Wednesday morning, a major win for party leaders after a messy race defined by questions of electability and growing voter angst.
Crowley, the Milwaukee County Executive, had mounted a last-ditch effort with retiring Gov. Tony Evers to paint Hong as too extreme and, therefore, unelectable in a battleground state that President Donald Trump won by just shy of 30,000 votes in 2024.
And it marks a wild reversal in the race. Crowley had suspended his campaign in early July only to jump back in a few weeks later shortly after Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez was forced to leave the race amid a campaign finance scandal. Former Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes dropped his own bid in late July.
He will face Trump-backed GOP Rep. Tom Tiffany in November.
“When we think about this state and how we move forward, we need someone who’s not just going to fight back, but … who can also sit at the negotiating table and be able to work with folks who want to deliver for those that we represent,” Crowley said in a recent interview with POLITICO.
The result is a major blow to progressives’ hopes that a Hong victory would demonstrate the movement can deliver big wins in battleground states and pave the way for a progressive in the 2028 presidential race.
Hong said in a recent interview she would campaign with Crowley, should he win the nomination.
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