Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley Narrowly Defeated Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong, Setting Up a November Matchup Against Republican Tom Tiffany
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has won Wisconsin’s Democratic nomination for governor, surviving a turbulent primary and putting himself within reach of becoming the state’s first Black governor.
Crowley narrowly defeated state Rep. Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, by less than one percentage point in a race that remained too close to call until the predawn hours Wednesday.
The result capped an unusual campaign for the 37-year-old Crowley, who briefly suspended his campaign July 8 before jumping back into the race days later. His return followed Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez’s withdrawal over campaign finance errors and a major funding shortfall.
Crowley reentered the race with the endorsement of outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, while Hong continued to carry momentum from the party’s progressive wing.
Crowley’s Win Highlights Democratic Party Divide
The Wisconsin contest became one of the latest tests of the growing divide between establishment-backed Democrats and an insurgent progressive movement that has gained ground in races across the country.
Hong, a state lawmaker who also works as a bartender-chef, had been considered a frontrunner in several public polls. Her campaign also drew attention as another test of the Democratic Socialists of America’s growing influence following progressive victories in New York, Philadelphia, Michigan, Colorado and Washington, D.C.
But Crowley’s razor-thin victory offered little indication that either wing of the Democratic Party has decisively won the argument over its future.
A similar divide played out one week earlier in Michigan, where progressive Abdul El-Sayed defeated four-term U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary for an open U.S. Senate seat by roughly 15,000 votes, or about one percentage point.
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Minnesota Democrats delivered a more decisive result, backing progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan over centrist U.S. Rep. Angie Craig.
The close Wisconsin and Michigan races carry added significance because both Midwestern states have been decided by narrow margins in recent presidential elections and could again become central battlegrounds ahead of 2028.
Crowley Could Become Wisconsin’s First Black Governor
Crowley’s nomination puts him on a historic path. If elected in November, he would become Wisconsin’s first Black governor and only the fourth Black person elected governor in U.S. history.
“The historic nature of this campaign is not lost on me,” Crowley previously told theGrio. “It’s more important that, even if I am the first, that I’m not the last.”
Though Crowley has been described as the establishment candidate in the Democratic primary, he has rejected that label.
“I wasn’t born into the establishment. I was born into struggle,” Crowley said.
Crowley has spoken openly about growing up in one of Wisconsin’s poorest ZIP codes while his parents struggled with addiction and mental health challenges. He said his family was evicted three times before he graduated from high school and that he moved every year for much of his childhood.
He credited the Milwaukee youth development organization Urban Underground with changing the direction of his life while he was in high school.
Crowley later served with AmeriCorps, worked as a youth organizer and became a staffer at the Wisconsin State Capitol before entering elected office. He also served as chair of the state’s Black Legislative Caucus.
November Matchup With Tom Tiffany
Crowley will now face Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in the November general election.
President Donald Trump won Wisconsin in 2024, and Republicans have held significant power in the state Legislature for years. Democrats, however, are hoping to reverse that trend and capitalize on dissatisfaction among voters over the economy and rising costs.
Crowley said Democrats will need to unite after the bitter primary and build a coalition capable of winning not only the governor’s office but also legislative seats.
“There’s a frustration with the Democratic Party, the fact that we haven’t put a vision and an agenda on the table,” Crowley said.
He said Wisconsin Democrats have an opportunity to “move our state forward” while providing a model for how the party can win nationally.
Crowley has centered much of his campaign around affordability, including utility bills, housing, child care and health care.
“I know that there’s so much more that we could be doing for working families, making sure that we’re tackling the affordability crisis, lowering utility prices, housing prices, creating greater access to childcare and to healthcare,” Crowley told theGrio.
“We need a governor who’s going to be steady, who’s going to be responsible, who’s going to be focused on getting things done.”
