David Crowley wins Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary over Francesca Hong
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley won the Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, defeating state Rep. Francesca Hong, according to a race call by the Associated Press. Crowley will face Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is backed by President Donald Trump, in the general election. The race is considered a competitive contest in a key battleground state.
David Crowley, 40, secured the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin governor after a campaign that included a temporary suspension and relaunch backed by outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. Crowley, a native of Milwaukee who became the city's youngest and first Black county executive in 2020, would be Wisconsin's first Black governor if he wins in the fall.
Hong, a 37-year-old state lawmaker from Madison and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, ran on a platform including a minimum wage increase from $7.25 to $20 per hour, guaranteed paid leave, and a one-year moratorium on new AI data centers in Wisconsin. She had faced scrutiny over past social media posts calling for defunding and abolishing police and for "canceling Thanksgiving," positions she later said she had revised. Crowley's supporters argued those past statements gave Republicans useful lines of attack heading into November.
Republican-aligned super PACs, including one affiliated with the Republican Governors Association, spent millions of dollars to boost Hong in the primary, with Crowley and Evers warning that her candidacy risked the governor's office. The field had narrowed after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes exited the race over the summer, and state Sen. Kelda Roys, who remained in the race despite calls to drop out, drew over 7 percent of the vote, according to Politico.