Crowley, a moderate, narrowly beat Hong, who led in polls ahead of the election.
MILWAUKEE, Wis.—A candidate aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America has been defeated in the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary, marking a major upset in a race the candidate had been expected to win.
At 3:34 a.m. ET on Aug. 12, the Associated Press called the race for Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who beat state Rep. Francesca Hong by the thinnest of margins, 39.8 percent to Hong’s 39.4 percent.
Hong’s defeat by a hair comes as a major political upset given that she had dominated polling for weeks over the late-entering Crowley, who only announced his run on July 18.
Crowley’s unexpectedly strong performance, coming alongside a firm endorsement and campaign support by Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers in the final lap of the race, underscores that the ongoing battle between moderates and the far left flank of the party is far from settled, even as democratic socialist candidates have enjoyed a series of wins in other Democratic races.
Given that Hong lost by less than one percent, she is entitled to request a recount.
Democrats ultimately rejected Hong amid concerns from within the party that past remarks—including a post calling to “Cancel Thanksgiving”—could raise significant challenges in the general election.
General Election Match-Up
Crowley is now set to take on Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.), who easily won the Republican nomination, in November.
National attention has remained centered on the politically critical swing state, which voted for both President Donald Trump and Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin in 2024.
Tiffany, who had been gearing up for a fight with Hong, had described the race as a referendum on democratic socialism, saying that he believed the race poses the question, “Is the American heartland going to be the firewall that stops this movement of socialism coming from—especially—the East Coast?”
With Hong’s defeat from within the Democratic Party, Tiffany’s campaign will now have to rapidly switch gears to run a race against a candidate who’s seen by many as stronger than Hong in a general election match-up.
In his endorsement of Crowley, Evers wrote, “He’s not just a candidate who can win in November, but he’s the kind of person who cares about doing the job right, he has the experience to make tough decisions, and he’s the only person in this race who’s proven he can work together with others to get good things done.”
Tiffany had previously discouraged Republicans from voting in the Democratic primary to boost Hong’s chances.
By Joseph Lord
