Crowley edges Hong in tight Wisconsin Democratic governor primary

By /
David Crowley (Milwaukee County Executive)

Coverage spread: 5 sources — 3 left · 1 center · 1 right

Lean ratings via AllSides / Media Bias-Fact-Check. How this works.

Where they agree

  • Crowley won a razor-thin victory over Hong, roughly 39.8% to 39.4%, a margin of about 3,000 votes.
  • Crowley had dropped out of the race and re-entered in mid-July with Gov. Tony Evers’ endorsement, reversing his earlier poor polling.
  • Hong had been the clear frontrunner in polling for most of the race but faced scrutiny over past controversial social media posts.
  • Crowley will face Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany, backed by Trump, in the November general election.

Where they differ

  • Fox News frames the story around a broader “progressive winning streak” across the Midwest, emphasizing Minnesota wins by Flanagan and Omar before turning to Wisconsin as the exception.
  • NBC News and CBS News lead with the horse-race mechanics — Crowley’s late surge, campaign finance troubles that felled rival Sara Rodriguez, and Crowley’s heavy ad spending advantage ($4 million vs. under $500,000 for Hong).
  • The Guardian gives more space to Hong’s policy platform and her own framing that voters are rejecting the political establishment, plus extended quotes from both candidates’ concession/victory statements.
  • NBC News includes voter-level detail (a “split-vote couple” in Madison) illustrating the split between electability and policy concerns among Democrats, a texture other outlets omit.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley won the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor, narrowly beating democratic socialist state Rep. Francesca Hong after most polls had shown her leading the race. With about 98% of votes counted, Crowley had 39.8% to Hong’s 39.4% — a margin of roughly 3,000 votes — and will now face Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is backed by President Trump, in November.

How did Crowley come from behind to win?

Crowley’s win capped one of the most volatile primaries in recent Wisconsin history. He had actually dropped out of the race after struggling to gain traction, then re-entered on July 18 with an endorsement from outgoing two-term Gov. Tony Evers, who campaigned with him and argued he was the more electable choice against Tiffany in a closely divided swing state. As late as the end of July, a Marquette University Law School poll had Crowley in the single digits, with Hong leading a still-undecided electorate. The field had shifted repeatedly before Election Day: Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropped out in mid-July over campaign finance reporting issues, and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, the 2022 Senate nominee, ended his bid on July 31, leaving Hong, Crowley, state Sen. Kelda Roys and former state administration chief Joel Brennan as the final four candidates.

Crowley’s campaign and allied groups also outspent Hong heavily on ads — about $4 million compared with less than half a million dollars spent by Hong and her supporters, according to AdImpact.

What hurt Hong’s campaign in the final stretch?

Hong, a 37-year-old chef, former restaurant owner and single mother from Madison first elected to the Assembly in 2020, faced mounting scrutiny over past social media posts, including a suggestion to cancel Thanksgiving and past support for defunding and abolishing the police — positions she says she no longer holds. Republicans, including President Trump, amplified the attacks as national attention turned to Wisconsin. She ran on childcare for all, free school meals, raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $20 an hour, guaranteed paid leave, and a one-year moratorium on new AI data center construction. She drew backing from national progressives including Reps. Ilhan Omar and Ro Khanna.

What did Crowley and Hong say after the result?

Crowley told supporters Wednesday, “Today, I stand before the people of Wisconsin after we rose from the ashes… after the people of Wisconsin decided that the bright future that working Wisconsin families deserve is worth fighting for.” He thanked Evers and Hong, saying her campaign showed “there are no long-shots when it comes to believing in a better future,” and invited her supporters to back him, saying “I look forward to earning their support.” He pushed back on the idea that the primary was a fight between the party’s left and center, saying Democrats are united against “Maga extremism.” Hong congratulated Crowley and pledged to support him in the general election, calling the past 11 months “one of the greatest joys of my life.” Evers celebrated on social media: “For now, we polka. Tomorrow, we’re back at work to win.”

Why does this race matter beyond Wisconsin?

Crowley’s win breaks a recent pattern of progressive victories in Democratic primaries in Michigan, New York, Colorado and, on the same night, Minnesota, where Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan beat Rep. Angie Craig for the Senate nomination and Rep. Ilhan Omar won her primary. Analysts framed the Wisconsin race as a test of whether an anti-establishment mood among Democratic voters would extend to a top-of-the-ticket race in a true swing state, rather than safely blue seats. Trump won Wisconsin by less than a point in 2024, and it’s one of only two states with split Senate representation between the parties. After Crowley’s win, Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia shifted its rating of the general election from toss-up to leaning Democratic. Crowley, 40, has led Milwaukee County since 2020 and previously served in the state Assembly; he’ll now face Tiffany, a sitting U.S. House member, in what both parties consider one of the marquee governor’s races this fall.

Sources

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top