MADISON — Moderate Democrat David Crowley narrowly defeated progressive state Representative Francesca Hong in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor, overcoming a late surge by the democratic socialist and securing a November matchup with Republican U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany. Crowley won by just over 3,000 votes, a margin of about half a percentage point, according to results reported after Tuesday’s primary.
The result was a setback for progressive Democrats, who had won a series of closely watched primary contests in other states. Hong had led Crowley and the other candidates in several polls before the election, but the Milwaukee County executive benefited from his executive experience, support from Democratic Governor Tony Evers and a campaign focused heavily on his ability to compete with Tiffany in the general election.
Crowley, 40, became the first Black person to win a major-party nomination for Wisconsin governor. He is seeking to become the state’s first Black governor. He previously served in the Wisconsin Assembly before being elected Milwaukee County executive, where he worked with the Republican-controlled Legislature on a 2023 bipartisan agreement that increased state aid to Milwaukee and other communities.
Crowley had withdrawn from the governor’s race on July 8, saying he did not see a path to victory, but re-entered 10 days later after Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez left the contest following problems with her campaign finances. Evers endorsed Crowley after his return and campaigned with him during the final week.
After the primary, Crowley moved quickly to appeal to Hong’s supporters. At a unity event on Wednesday, he said the Democratic campaign should focus on defeating Tiffany rather than divisions between moderates and progressives.
“This isn’t establishment versus progressive. This isn’t insider versus outsider,” Crowley said. “This is Democrats defeating a MAGA extremist in Congressman Tom Tiffany and that’s what we should be focusing on moving forward.”
Hong joined Crowley at the unity event and is expected to campaign with him as Democrats turn toward the November election. Tiffany, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, responded by attacking Crowley’s record as Milwaukee County executive and arguing that there was little difference among the Democratic candidates.
Wisconsin has emerged as one of the country’s most competitive political battlegrounds. The state’s presidential elections in 2016, 2020 and 2024 were each decided by less than one percentage point, setting the stage for another closely contested governor’s race in November.
