Wisconsin Democratic Primary Ends Hong Bid

David Crowley has won the Wisconsin Democratic primary for governor, handing state Rep. Francesca Hong a setback in one of the nation’s most closely watched battleground races. The result in the Wisconsin governor primary sets Crowley up for a general election against Rep. Tom Tiffany, the expected Republican nominee.

Hong, a Madison lawmaker and member of the Democratic Socialists of America, was backed by prominent progressives but fell short against Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive. Crowley had the support of retiring Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who warned that a Hong victory could put the party’s hold on the governor’s office at risk. Evers also campaigned with Crowley late in the race as Democrats tried to stop the seat from moving toward the GOP.

The contest drew national attention because it offered an early look at the fight inside the Democratic Party over its future direction. Hong’s campaign leaned into left-wing positions, including guaranteed paid leave, a higher minimum wage, and a one-year pause on new AI data center construction in Wisconsin. Her candidacy also faced scrutiny over past social media posts that called for defunding and abolishing the police, as well as a separate post from 2020 saying the country should cancel Thanksgiving to stop celebrating colonialism.

Hong later said she no longer supported defunding police or abolishing police departments. She told voters, “I'm not defunding the police, not abolishing police. I am serious about public safety.” On the Thanksgiving posts, she said she had “evolved” and “learned,” and later said Thanksgiving was now her “favorite holiday.” Those reversals came as she tried to reassure skeptical voters in a state where law and order concerns can shape statewide races.