Wisconsin’s Democratic primary pits moderate-leaning David Crowley, backed by Gov. Tony Evers, against progressive Francesca Hong in a race widely viewed as a national test of the party’s direction. Crowley briefly withdrew and then re-entered the contest, while votes already cast for withdrawn candidates (Mandela Barnes and Sara Rodriguez) cannot be rescinded. Hong has faced scrutiny over past social posts but has clarified some positions; Republicans are already framing the November choice as a contest between stability and extremism. Democrats aim to hold the governorship and flip the legislature, raising the stakes for November.
Wisconsin Primary Becomes National Test for Democrats: Crowley vs. Hong
David Crowley, Democratic candidate for Wisconsin governor, takes a selfie photo with supporter Abigail Tessmann during a campaign stop Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)(AP Photo/Scott Bauer)
NEW GLARUS, Wis. — The Democratic gubernatorial primary in Wisconsin has taken on outsized national importance as moderates and progressives vie for control of the party's direction in a key battleground state. At the center of the contest are Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, endorsed by Gov. Tony Evers, and democratic socialist Francesca Hong. Voters and party operatives alike say the outcome could signal whether Democrats lean toward the center or move further left ahead of November.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong, right, talks as David Crowley listens during a primary debate in Milwaukee, Tuesday, July 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Sarah Miller, a 49-year-old software engineer from Madison who describes herself as a progressive, said she has heard talk of a civil war in the party but is focused on electability. "The divide is real," she said, while adding that her priority is beating the Republican nominee in November. Miller told reporters she plans to vote for Crowley because she doubts Hong can win the general election and called some of Hong's support "a little bit of a mirage."
David Crowley, Democratic candidate for Wisconsin governor, speaks with supporter Abigail Tessmann during a campaign stop Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)(AP Photo/Scott Bauer)
Crowley, who briefly withdrew from the race on July 8 and re-entered 10 days later after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez ended her campaign and Gov. Evers backed him, is pressing that argument to undecided voters. He also pointed to the narrow victory by progressive Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan’s recent Senate primary as both a cautionary example and a source of motivation. "We're going to focus on those undecided voters," Crowley said on the trail.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong talks with Milwaukee residents 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 race has been complicated by a late shake-up: both Rodriguez and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes ended their campaigns in July but remain on the ballot, and absentee votes already cast for them cannot be rescinded. A Marquette University Law School poll conducted in late July — before Barnes' exit — showed Hong with a significant lead; by that time more than 112,000 absentee ballots had already been returned.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany talks to supporters during a campaign event, Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Kenosha, WI. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Hong, a single mother and former restaurant worker, has faced scrutiny over past social media posts in which she criticized Thanksgiving as a celebration of colonialism, disparaged Valentine’s Day, and supported calls to defund the police. In recent days she has clarified that she does not support abolishing the police and has sought to tamp down controversy while campaigning across the state.
Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, projected to be the likely November opponent, has seized on Hong's past comments and cast the general election as a choice between "chaos and common sense." Tiffany entered August with a significant fundraising edge — roughly ten times the cash on hand of each leading Democratic candidate — a factor Democrats worry could shape the fall campaign.
Supporters of each Democrat accuse the other side of short-sightedness. Crowley and his backers argue pragmatically about electability and coalition-building; Hong's supporters say labels of "unelectable" echo past dismissals that sidelined women and candidates of color. "Establishment Democrats want to take the choice away," said Hong backer Chris Vestin, who compared the current debate to 2016 primary dynamics.
The stakes go beyond the governorship. Democrats hope to retain the governor's office and flip both legislative chambers to secure a trifecta and reverse nearly a decade of Republican policy changes that reshaped Wisconsin government and labor law. "We need a trifecta," Crowley told supporters. "And who is at the top of the ticket matters."
With election day near, both campaigns are sprinting to capture undecided and absentee voters in a close, unpredictable primary that many national observers are watching as a bellwether for the party's future direction.
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