MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley narrowly defeated progressive state Rep. Francesca Hong in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor, according to election results reported on Wednesday, setting up a November contest with Republican Tom Tiffany.
Crowley won about 39.8% of the vote to Hong’s 39.4%, according to the reported results, in a race that remained too close to call for much of the night as Milwaukee processed absentee ballots.
The result marks a setback for the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, which had backed Hong, a democratic socialist and Madison state representative. Hong had led several polls before the election, while Crowley returned to the governor’s race in July after initially withdrawing and received an endorsement from outgoing Democratic Governor Tony Evers.
Crowley will face Tiffany, a Republican U.S. representative and supporter of President Donald Trump, in the Nov. 3 general election. Tiffany was unopposed in the Republican primary.
The Wisconsin gubernatorial race is expected to be closely watched in a battleground state that has played a central role in recent U.S. presidential elections. The primary outcome was still being finalized as election officials processed outstanding ballots, with the reported margin remaining less than one percentage point.
