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Wisconsin Democratic upset
In Wisconsin, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley defeated Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, setting up a November matchup against Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany, who won his GOP nomination with Trump’s backing.
“David Crowley narrowly defeats Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong”
ABC News said Crowley “narrowly defeats Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong,” while Al Jazeera reported Hong lost by “just 0.4 percent to Crowley.”
The contest reflected a fight inside Democratic primaries between mainstream “establishment” candidates and left-wing “progressive” democratic socialists, with Al Jazeera noting Hong carried 39.4 percent of the Democratic primary vote.
Al Jazeera also said Crowley’s campaign manager, Garren Randolph, described Crowley as “focused on bringing people together, earning the support of Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and anyone who believes Wisconsin is at its best when we work together and deliver results.”
On the Republican side, Urban Milwaukee reported the Associated Press called Tiffany’s primary win at 8:21 p.m., and said Trump’s endorsement helped him avoid a contentious fight as he prepared to define himself before Democrats get a chance.
Trump’s endorsement tested
Across the same Tuesday primaries, ABC News described South Carolina’s special Republican U.S. Senate primary as offering “questions about Trump endorsement,” because voters would not know for certain who would take late Sen. Lindsey Graham’s spot until an Aug. 25 runoff.
In South Carolina, ABC News said the matchup would be between Sen. Darline Graham, Trump’s endorsed pick, and conservative stalwart Rep. Ralph Norman, who launched a bid despite Trump endorsing Graham.
Al Jazeera framed the night as a referendum on Trump’s influence and said Trump’s support remained decisive but “is no longer sufficient to guarantee victory in all races.”
Al Jazeera also said Minnesota delivered Trump’s “biggest setback this season” when Mike Lindell lost the gubernatorial primary despite receiving personal and direct support from the president via Truth Social.
In Wisconsin, Al Jazeera reported Trump faced no inside-party challenge as GOP Rep. Tom Tiffany “easily won the party nomination for governor,” while the Democratic contest became the main test of the party’s direction.
November stakes and fallout
The Wisconsin results left both parties focused on November, with Crowley set to face Tom Tiffany after the Democratic primary upset and Tiffany’s GOP win, while Al Jazeera said the race underscored a split vision of the Democratic Party’s future.
“Please DON’T gather for the colonizer holiday”
Al Jazeera reported Hong ran without endorsements from U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont or U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and it tied that to criticism over past social media posts including a November 2020 X post that said, “Please DON’T gather for the colonizer holiday.”
In Minnesota, DW said the progressive lieutenant governor Peggy Flanagan, 46, and moderate Congresswoman Angie Craig, 54, were vying for the nomination to succeed retiring Senator Tina Smith, with the winner set to face in November Republican Michele Tafoya.
DW also described South Carolina’s Republican Senate primary after Lindsey Graham’s death, saying Darline Graham won nearly 33% of the votes but would need a run-off after not reaching 50%.
With the primaries shaping the November midterm contests, ABC News said the Wisconsin gubernatorial race would be a “high-stakes test” for progressives and that Crowley’s narrow victory suggested division over the party’s direction remained “ever strong.”
