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Wisconsin primary upset
David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, defeated Francesca Hong in the Wisconsin Democratic governor primary, setting up a November general election against Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany.
“David Crowley is projected to have won a primary election to become the Democratic candidate for Wisconsin governor”
NBC News framed the race as a crowded contest after Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ retirement, with the Democratic field narrowing to a contest between state Rep. Francesca Hong and Evers-endorsed Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.
The BBC reported Crowley won a narrow victory over Hong, with the governor’s race in November contested by Crowley and Tiffany, who won the equivalent Republican contest.
The Washington Post described Crowley as seizing a surprise win Tuesday for the Democratic nomination in Wisconsin’s race for governor, giving the party’s establishment a victory over a democratic socialist.
Fox News reported that Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers called Crowley "the future" of the Democratic Party in an early Wednesday morning post on X.
Unity vs MAGA
At a press conference on Wednesday, David Crowley accepted the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin governor and vowed to unite a fractured coalition heading into November’s general election, thanking Francesca Hong and telling reporters, "I look forward to earning their support."
Crowley rejected the progressive-versus-establishment framing, saying, "We may not agree on every policy. We may not use the same labels, but we all want safe communities, strong schools, affordable health care, good-paying jobs, and a brighter future for all of our children," while arguing the bigger issue was keeping Maga extremism from bringing "the chaos we see in Washington into our neighborhoods right here in the state of Wisconsin."
The BBC reported Crowley posted on X in the early hours of Wednesday that it was time to "get to work," and reiterated missions including "making life more affordable, strengthening our schools, creating good-paying jobs, and making sure opportunity reaches every corner of our state".
In the same BBC account, Hong’s defeat was described as denting a winning streak for the party’s left wing, with the Hong-Crowley contest projected to be contested by Crowley and Tiffany in November.
Fox News added that Crowley praised Hong while rejecting the progressive-versus-establishment framing and taking aim at "MAGA extremism," asserting, "The real opponent has always been Tom Tiffany."
Broader party stakes
The BBC connected the Wisconsin result to a wider pattern, saying the anti-establishment Democrats’ victories had rattled party leadership in Washington and noting that the trend continued in Minnesota and Connecticut.
“Anti-establishment Democrats across the US had previously notched up victories that have rattled the party leadership in Washington.”
In Minnesota, the BBC reported that candidate Peggy Flanagan secured the Democratic nomination for the upcoming U.S. Senate race, defeating her more centrist opponent Angie Craig, while ABC News projected that Flanagan would face former NFL sideline reporter Michelle Tafoya in the general election.
In South Carolina, the BBC reported Darline Graham Nordone advanced to a run-off vote later this month in a special Republican primary for the U.S. Senate, and ABC News projected that Graham would face Rep. Ralph Norman in an Aug. 25 runoff.
The New York Times described Wisconsin’s primary as a mixed showing for the party’s left wing on a busy night of primaries in six states, and said Crowley would face Representative Tom Tiffany in November.
NBC News also framed the broader stakes around control of Congress, saying voters in six states decided which candidates will face off in November in House and Senate races that could determine whether the balance of power will shift in the next Congress.
