WI Gov. Primary Appears To Deliver Stunning Upset

MILWAUKEE, WI — David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, appears to have pulled off an upset win in the Wisconsin Democratic primary for governor, defeating Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist state lawmaker who had led in the polls for months.

Crowley is projected by the Associated Press to win his race and will face Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Trump-endorsed Republican, in the November general election.

Gov. Tony Evers endorsed Crowley and campaigned with him in the closing days of the race, warning Democratic voters that Hong could struggle against Tiffany in a general election matchup.

Crowley also outraised Hong in July as the more centrist wing of the party rallied behind his campaign, the New York Times reported.

Hong, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, faced scrutiny in the campaign's final weeks after resurfaced social media posts, including a 2020 call to "cancel Thanksgiving" and 2021 remarks about her "proximity to whiteness" regarding her biracial son.

Crowley's campaign manager, Garren Randolph, said in a statement that the candidate is "ready to get back to work, build a broad coalition, and win in November."

Randolph thanked Hong and the other primary candidates for pushing the campaign to think bigger about the state's future.