Wisconsin primary flips left-wing streak

Wisconsin primary voters handed centrist Democrat David Crowley a projected win over Francesca Hong, a result that ends a recent string of victories for the party’s left flank. The Wisconsin primary came down to a narrow margin with almost all ballots counted, and CBS News projected Crowley as the winner early Wednesday.

Crowley, who leads Milwaukee County, moved ahead of Hong in a contest many observers had expected the democratic socialist to win. He posted on X that it was time to “get to work” and said his priorities were making life more affordable, strengthening schools, creating good-paying jobs, and making sure opportunity reaches every part of Wisconsin. Hong, a state assemblywoman, single mother and former chef, had entered the race as what many saw as the front-runner in a crowded field.

The outcome matters well beyond one state race because it breaks a broader pattern that had unsettled Democrats in Washington. Anti-establishment candidates have recently scored a series of primary wins around the country, many of them linked to or endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America. Those victories have highlighted frustration with the party’s current leadership and opened a debate over whether the left wing can win not just primaries, but the swing voters needed in November.

Crowley’s path to the nomination was not straightforward. He had briefly dropped out of the race last month to back another candidate before returning with support from Governor Tony Evers. That late re-entry appears to have helped him close the gap in the final stretch. Hong, meanwhile, faced scrutiny over earlier comments about police funding and Thanksgiving, remarks she later walked back.