In a tight race for the gubernatorial nomination in Wisconsin, an establishment-backed Democrat emerged victorious over a formidable leftist contender.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley narrowly defeated Francesca Hong by a margin of just 3,211 votes on Tuesday evening. This unexpected outcome came after market forecasters had dubbed the progressive candidate the likely winner.
Crowley’s triumph was a cause for celebration at Democratic Party headquarters, where there had been concerns that Hong’s meteoric rise signaled a growing wave of progressive influence—a development considered advantageous for Republicans.
Ultimately, Crowley’s victory was anchored in his pragmatic ‘Badger Basics’ initiative, which focused on strengthening labor unions, providing affordable housing solutions, and expanding healthcare access.
In contrast, Hong, affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America, championed significant systemic economic reforms throughout her campaign.
She has called for scrapping Thanksgiving, defunding the police, abolishing ICE and doing away with the US Senate. Hong has since softened or abandoned several of those positions.
Her politics were considered so toxic that Republican-linked money flowed into her campaign, on the calculation that Wisconsin voters would recoil from her in November.
Even Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders, the progressive movement’s two biggest names, withheld their endorsements.
David Crowley greets supporters at a campaign rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Francesca Hong speaks to supporters during an election-night party earlier this week in Madison, Wisconsin
Hong could have requested a recount since Crowley’s margin of victory was less than 1 percentage point. But because it was wider than 0.25 points, Hong’s campaign would have had to pay for it.
Crowley got 313,321 votes, or 39.8 percent, beating out Hong who received 310,110 or 39.4 percent of the vote, according to the Associated Press.
Hong attracted backing from Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and California Congressman Ro Khanna, as well as former Ohio state senator and prominent Bernie Sanders ally Nina Turner.
But Democratic strategists are now breathing a sigh of relief as Crowley is given much better odds of capturing swing voters in purple Wisconsin come November.
He will face US Representative Tom Tiffany, a Donald Trump-backed congressman from northern Wisconsin, on November 3.
Limited head-to-head polling shows Crowley narrowly ahead, while broader prediction markets gave the GOP an edge – largely because they’d expected Hong to be the nominee.
Crowley’s comeback was one of the campaign’s defining twists after suspending his bid in July, endorsing Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez, then returning after her withdrawal over campaign-finance mismanagement with the backing of outgoing Governor Tony Evers.
Evers argued that Crowley gave Democrats their strongest chance of holding a pivotal swing-state governorship in November.
The result is also historic as Crowley will become Wisconsin’s first black governor if elected.
Hong had entered the final stretch as the polling frontrunner, propelled by especially strong support among younger Democrats and voters drawn to her populist, Socialist agenda.
But Crowley’s victory underscores the continuing power of Wisconsin’s institutional Democratic coalition, combining organized labor, Milwaukee-area elected officials and the outgoing governor’s endorsement.
The contest is already shaping up as one of the most closely watched of the 2026 cycle.
Wisconsin remains a genuine swing state — Trump carried it by less than a point in 2024 — and both parties view the governorship as a critical piece of midterm leverage.
Crowley’s more moderate profile gives Democrats a clearer path to holding the seat, but Tiffany’s deep northern Wisconsin base and Trump’s ongoing influence mean neither side can take anything for granted.