Early in-person voting is underway in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor, with a divided field of five candidates and only one scheduled debate before the Aug. 11 primary. Progressive Francesca Hong leads among the left, while Mandela Barnes and Gov. Tony Evers–backed David Crowley compete for broader support in Milwaukee. Democrats filed a lawsuit seeking to allow more than 100,000 already-returned mail ballots to be canceled so voters can submit replacements after candidates withdrew or re-entered the race. The primary winner will face Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany in November.
Wisconsin Early Voting Kicks Off as Fractious Democratic Governor Primary Reaches a Tipping Point
FILE - Absentee ballots during a count at the Wisconsin Center, Nov. 8, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)(AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Early in-person voting opened Tuesday in Wisconsin as Democrats in the closely watched swing state head into a fractious primary to choose a nominee for governor.
What’s At Stake
Democrats view the governor's office and control of both legislative chambers as within reach — a sweep that would give the party full control of state government for the first time since 2010. But the party has not consolidated behind a single candidate, raising concerns that a divided primary could reduce their chances in November.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong talks with a Milwaukee resident during "We Outside" Annual Community Event at Metcalfe Park Rising, Friday, July 24, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
The Field
Five Democrats appear on the Aug. 11 primary ballot and will meet for their only scheduled debate Tuesday night.
Francesca Hong, an insurgent progressive and self-described democratic socialist, has attracted strong support from the party’s left flank. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who narrowly lost a 2022 U.S. Senate bid, is counting on strong turnout in his hometown of Milwaukee to offset Hong’s Madison-based base. Milwaukee and Madison contain the state's largest concentrations of Democratic voters.
FILE - Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley addresses a crowd, March 29, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Andy Manis, File)(AP Photo/Andy Manis)
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley is running with the endorsement of Gov. Tony Evers. Crowley briefly dropped out of the race on July 8 but re-entered on July 17 — the day after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez withdrew amid a campaign finance controversy. Crowley and Barnes are both campaigning to become Wisconsin’s first Black governor. The names of Rodriguez and former state economic director Missy Hughes remain on the ballot despite having ended their campaigns.
Republican Opponent
The winner of the Democratic primary will face Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November. Tiffany, who has President Donald Trump's endorsement and who ran successfully in a state Trump won in both 2016 and 2024, faces only nominal opposition in the GOP primary.
Wisconsin Democratic candidate for governor Mandela Barnes speaks at a campaign stop on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)(AP Photo/Scott Bauer)
Ballot-Spoiling Lawsuit
Hours after polls opened for early voting, a judge was scheduled to hear arguments in a lawsuit filed by Democrats seeking to allow voters who already returned absentee mail ballots to cancel those ballots and submit new ones — a rarely used practice known as "ballot spoiling." As of Monday, more than 100,000 mail ballots had already been returned.
The suit, filed with the backing of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, asks the court to permit immediate cancellation of already-cast ballots because Rodriguez and Hughes ended their campaigns and Crowley rejoined the race after a large number of absentee ballots had been mailed and returned.
Key Dates
In-person absentee voting that began Tuesday will continue through Aug. 9. All absentee ballots must be received by the time polls close on election day, Aug. 11, to be counted.
Mayes-Osterman is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. She reported for this story from Milwaukee.
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