Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidates hold largely civil debate as primary approaches

The five Democrats seeking the Wisconsin governorship met for a single televised debate on Tuesday, a week before early voting begins for the Aug. 11 primary. Despite a crowded field, the candidates largely refrained from personal attacks, and none directly challenged front-runner State Rep. Francesca Hong, who leads in recent polls.

Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes was the only participant to criticize Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley for re-entering the race after receiving Gov. Tony Evers’ endorsement. Barnes said, "It’s been mentioned that the county executive had his campaign resurrected by special interests in a dark room with people with their thumb on the scale," while Crowley responded by emphasizing his personal background and stating he is not "here to protect the establishment."

Beyond that exchange, the candidates—Barnes, Crowley, State Sen. Kelda Roys, former administration secretary Joel Brennan, and Hong—expressed broad consensus on lowering property taxes, scaling back the school-voucher program, and imposing a tax on incomes above $1 million.

Hong, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, faced questions about past statements calling for police defunding and a "perfect world" without prisons. She clarified, "I do not support the full platform of the national DSA, and I am not endorsed by DSA national. What democratic socialism is is a form of government that puts working-class people first," and reiterated support for public-education funding, taxing the wealthy, universal childcare and affordable housing.

When asked whether she would sign legislation cutting police funding, Hong answered, "No. The governor cannot defund police, and I’m not here to govern by slogan. I’m here to make sure that I am the governor that is most serious about public safety."

Barnes and Crowley both affirmed the need for police transparency while rejecting budget cuts to law-enforcement. Barnes also highlighted a recent Marquette University Law School poll that showed him leading Republican Gov.-candidate Rep. Tom Tiffany in a hypothetical matchup, and suggested that "the establishment was trying to rig this election" to favor a particular candidate.

Crowley defended his candidacy by noting his experience in local government and addressed a report about an old social-media account containing inflammatory content, stating he is focused on delivering "real results for Wisconsinites all over our state."

The debate concluded with all participants emphasizing a "big-tent" Democratic vision and a shared commitment to public safety, education and fiscal responsibility as the primary race tightens.