Establishment Democrat David Crowley Blocks Progressive Hope in Wisconsin Primary
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David Crowley, backed by party elites, defeats progressive state Rep. Francesca Hong in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, setting up a contest with right-wing Republican Tom Tiffany in November.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, representing the centrist wing of the Democratic Party and bolstered by the establishment's resources, secured the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin governor, defeating state Representative Francesca Hong in the June primary, according to the Associated Press. Crowley, who benefited from the endorsement and campaign machinery of outgoing Democratic Governor Tony Evers, now faces Republican U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany in the November general election—a candidate known for his reactionary policies.
Hong, a proud member of the Democratic Socialists of America and a former chef, ran a bold campaign centered on transformative policies: raising the statewide minimum wage to $20 per hour, guaranteeing paid leave for all, and halting the unchecked expansion of AI data centers. Her vision challenged the status quo, but she faced relentless attacks for her principled stances on police funding and the colonial legacy of Thanksgiving, issues she later clarified and revised.
Evers and other party officials, clinging to outdated notions of electability, warned that Hong’s nomination could threaten Democratic chances statewide. An anonymous Democratic strategist echoed this conservative caution, suggesting that only moderate candidates can win down-ballot races, dismissing the grassroots energy Hong inspired.
Meanwhile, Republican super-PACs cynically poured money into negative ads against Hong, hoping to manipulate the Democratic primary by targeting the candidate they feared least in the general. Tiffany, the Republican nominee, frames the upcoming election as a referendum on Wisconsin’s future, but offers only regressive policies.
Despite establishment resistance, both candidates now turn to voter outreach as the campaign heads toward Election Day, with progressives continuing to push for real change in Wisconsin.