State Representative Francesca Hong, known for her democratic socialist views, faces a challenging gubernatorial primary race in Wisconsin. She is running against Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who is backed by the party establishment. The race remains undecided as of 2 a.m. local time, with Crowley leading by about 2,000 votes or 0.4 percent, with 98 percent of the votes counted.
Both candidates are holding off on making any announcements until the final ballots come in. If the margin of victory is less than 1 percent, a recount can be requested by the losing candidate. Late on Tuesday, election officials noted that around 28,000 absentee ballots from Milwaukee, which may impact the race’s outcome, would be delayed. Paulina Gutiérrez, the executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, cited “human error” during the downloading of the ballots. These results were not expected to be posted until early Wednesday.
In a speech to her supporters, Hong stated, “We have built something that will change politics forever. The work we have done will be remembered. Although we don’t have the final results now, we are ready to keep fighting.” Meanwhile, the Crowley campaign expressed optimism, saying, “We feel optimistic, but it’s not over until the votes are counted.”
The winner of this primary will challenge Republican U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany in November. This election could test the appeal of progressive candidates in this crucial battleground state. Democrats are eager to take advantage of low approval ratings for President Donald Trump and hope to retain the governor’s office while gaining full control of Wisconsin state government for the first time since 2010.
Crowded Field Narrows to Two
Governor Tony Evers’ decision not to run for a third term led to a chaotic race to succeed him. Tiffany, supported by Trump, faced little opposition in the Republican primary. However, the Democratic field saw significant competition, culminating in a contest between Hong and Crowley.
Crowley had initially exited the race in early July but returned to the competition a couple of weeks afterward when Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez withdrew amidst a campaign finance scandal. Evers, who initially avoided endorsing any candidate, eventually supported Crowley.
Establishment Democrats expressed concern that Hong’s platform might make a Tiffany win more likely by alienating moderate and independent voters. Although Hong rallied left-wing supporters, prominent progressive figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders have not endorsed her. Ocasio-Cortez remarked that her focus was on winning back the Congress and Senate.
Underestimated Crowley in Polls
Polling underestimated Crowley’s support in the primary. Public surveys consistently showed Hong as a strong frontrunner. State Navigate’s final polls, taken from August 3 to 6 with 1,473 likely Democratic primary voters, showed Hong enjoying a 22-point lead over Crowley. The poll indicated Hong had 44 percent support compared to Crowley’s 22 percent, with 11 percent backing state Senator Kelda Roys and 5 percent supporting nonprofit executive Joel Brennan. This poll’s margin of error was 2.3 percentage points.
Previous polls, including five from Marquette University Law School, also showed Hong leading comfortably. The survey from July 22 to 27 with 407 Democratic primary voters showed Hong with 38 percent support and Crowley at 7 percent, with 34 percent undecided.
This developing story will continue to be updated.