David Crowley defeats Democratic socialist in Wisconsin governor primary upset; Rebecca Cooke advances in key House race
The Milwaukee County executive narrowly defeated Democratic socialist Francesca Hong after re-entering the race with Gov. Tony Evers’ endorsement. He will face Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany in November.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley edged out Democratic socialist Francesca Hong and three other candidates in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary Aug. 11 in a race that exposed divisions between the party’s progressive and establishment wings.
The Associated Press called the race for Crowley at 3:34 a.m. Aug. 12. With approximately 98% of the vote counted, Crowley received 39.8% to Hong’s 39.4%. State Sen. Kelda Roys, former Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan, and Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez received 7.5%, 4.7%, and 4.1,respectively.
Crowley will face Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany in the Nov. 3 general election. Tiffany defeated Republican challenger Andy Manske by a wide margin, with 95.3% of the vote.
The November race will determine who succeeds Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who declined to seek a third term.
Evers endorsed Crowley and argued that the Milwaukee County executive offered Democrats a stronger path to victory in one of the country’s most closely divided states.
The upset didn’t seem possible about a month ago when Crowley dropped out of the race since he wasn’t gaining interest among voters only to re-enter with Evers’ endorsement. His campaign spent more than $4 million on ads, significantly more than any other Democratic candidate, according to NBC News. His platform centered on improving life for working Wisconsinites, which included expanding the middle class, making child care accessible, and strengthening schools.
Hong, a 37-year-old state representative from Madison, is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and received endorsements from Wisconsin chapters of the group. She led in the race during the final weeks. Her campaign also lists endorsements from Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Ro Khanna of California and former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner, who served as a national co-chair of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign.
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Her platform calls for universal child care, free school meals, greater state funding for public schools, and a moratorium on new data centers. She has also opposed corporate political spending and pledged not to accept contributions from corporate political action committees.
Hong has also called for raising the state minimum wage to $20 an hour, creating a new tax bracket for millionaires, raising taxes on high earners and corporations, and establishing fully paid family and medical leave.
In recent media appearances, Hong distanced herself from past social media posts calling for the abolition of the U.S. Senate and the defunding of police after her statements drew scrutiny, Wisconsin Public Radio reported.
Some analysts predicted ahead of the primary that a win by Hong could make it easier for Republicans to win the governorship in November, Zeale News previously reported.
Hong’s loss counters a string of primary wins by DSA candidates and other progressives who have defeated establishment-backed Democrats in several states, as Zeale News previously reported. Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in the state’s Aug. 4 primary, defeating a candidate endorsed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
CatholicVote President and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt has repeatedly warned against the rise of socialist candidates in the U.S., arguing that they have taken advantage of opportunities America afforded them to advance a political movement hostile to the country. CatholicVote Vice President of Advocacy Joshua Mercer urged Wisconsin voters to reject Hong in comments to Zeale News ahead of the primary.
Decision Desk HQ declared Rebecca Cooke the winner of the Democratic primary in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District and Michael Alfonso the winner of the Republican primary in the 7th Congressional District.
Cooke, the 2024 Democratic nominee who narrowly lost to incumbent Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden, defeated Eau Claire City Council President Emily Berge, who was viewed as the more progressive candidate. She will now face Van Orden again in the competitive district.
Alfonso, a 26-year-old political newcomer and son-in-law of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy who carried President Donald Trump’s endorsement, prevailed in the open-seat Republican primary to succeed Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is running for governor. He was endorsed by CatholicVote.
