David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, won the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor on Tuesday, August 12, 2026, defeating Francesca Hong by a margin of just over 3,000 votes. With 95 percent of the vote counted, according to The Independent, Crowley had 313,321 votes to Hong's 310,110 — a gap of less than half a percentage point. The Associated Press, as cited by The Guardian, put the vote shares at 39.8 percent for Crowley and 39.4 percent for Hong at the point most votes had been counted.
Crowley wins Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary over Hong by fewer than 3,100 votes
David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, won the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor on Tuesday, August 12, 2026, defeating Francesca Hong by a margin of just over 3,000 votes. With 95 percent of the vote counted, according to The Independent, Crowley had 313,321 votes to Hong's 310,110 — a gap of less than half a percentage point. The Associated Press, as cited by The Guardian, put the vote shares at 39.8 percent for Crowley and 39.4 percent for Hong at the point most votes had been counted.
Crowley had previously suspended his campaign during the primary cycle before re-entering the race. His return followed the departure of Sara Rodriguez, who had been a leading contender, after campaign finance irregularities emerged, according to The Guardian. Mandela Barnes, the 2022 Democratic Senate nominee, also dropped out on July 31, The Guardian reported.
Outgoing Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat who has held the office since 2019 and did not seek re-election, endorsed Crowley upon his return to the race. Evers posted on social media overnight that Crowley was 'the future of our Party,' adding: 'For now, we polka. Tomorrow, we're back at work to win.'
At a press conference on Wednesday, Crowley formally accepted the Democratic nomination and called for party unity. He acknowledged Hong's campaign, saying it 'reminded people across Wisconsin that there are no long shots in believing in a better future and fighting to expand opportunities to every family.' He said he looked forward to 'earning their support' from Hong's voters ahead of November.
Crowley pushed back on the characterization of the primary as a 'battle between the left and the center,' saying: 'We may not agree on every policy. We may not use the same labels, but we all want safe communities, strong schools, affordable health care, good-paying jobs, and a brighter future for all of our children.' He framed the general election around opposing what he described as 'Maga extremism.'
Hong, a chef and former restaurant owner from Madison who is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, had run on a platform that included childcare for all, free school meals, and a one-year moratorium on new datacenter construction, according to The Guardian. Pre-election polling had shown her as a clear frontrunner, though polling was described as difficult given the fluid field of candidates.
In a statement on Wednesday, Hong congratulated Crowley and pledged to support him in the general election. 'This campaign was not about getting one person into office. It is about a building movement for permanent affordability and a government that puts working people first,' she said, according to The Guardian.
A 2020 social media post in which Hong described Thanksgiving as celebrating colonialism and called for it to be scrapped as a national holiday had become a source of controversy during the campaign. Hong had since deleted the post, according to multiple sources. The Guardian also noted her previous support for defunding the police as a factor that weighed on her campaign in its final days.
According to The Independent, Hong received endorsements from Representatives Ro Khanna and Ilhan Omar, but prominent progressive figures including Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez did not endorse in the Wisconsin race. Sanders did not endorse gubernatorial candidates outside of Maine this cycle, while Ocasio-Cortez made selective endorsements, The Independent reported. The Independent also noted that progressive figures who had campaigned for Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary did not travel to Wisconsin to support Hong, with the exception of Twitch streamer Hasan Piker.
Crowley will face Republican Tom Tiffany, a congressman who ran unopposed in the Republican primary, in the November general election. Tiffany voted against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election, according to The Guardian. Crowley's campaign had emphasized his electability against Tiffany as a central argument in the closing weeks of the primary.
The Democratic field also included state Senator Kelda Roys and Joel Brennan, who previously led the Wisconsin Department of Administration, according to The Guardian.
Where sources differ
- The precise vote totals reported differ slightly between sources: The Guardian (citing the Associated Press) reported Crowley at 39.8% and Hong at 39.4% with most votes counted, while The Independent reported raw totals of 313,321 for Crowley and 310,110 for Hong with 95% of the vote counted. Both indicate a margin of just over 3,000 votes, but the figures reflect different reporting snapshots.
- No source provides a final, certified vote count; figures cited reflect counts at the time of reporting with votes still outstanding.
- The Republican nominee Tom Tiffany is not quoted or given an opportunity to respond to his general election opponent's nomination.
- The ultimate impact of Hasan Piker's involvement on Hong's vote share is asserted by The Independent but not independently verified by any source.
- The specific campaign finance irregularities that led to Sara Rodriguez's departure from the race are not detailed in any source.
- No source clarifies whether Hong formally conceded the race or whether the result was certified at the time of reporting.
- The Guardian US — original — by https://www.theguardian.com/profile/tom-ambrose,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/shrai-popat,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/lucy-campbell,https://www.theguardian.com/profile/robert-mackey,http
- The Guardian US — by Rachel Leingang
- The Independent — by John Bowden
- NBC News — by NBC News
Read the original at The Guardian US