Wisconsin, Minnesota primaries test progressive strength

Voters in Wisconsin and Minnesota are choosing nominees Tuesday in primaries that will help define Democratic strategy in two Midwestern states where debates over ideology, electability and opposition to President Trump have dominated the campaigns.

The most closely watched contest is Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor, where Francesca Hong, a 37-year-old democratic socialist state lawmaker, chef and former restaurant owner from Madison, has led much of the race to succeed Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who is not seeking another term. Her campaign has drawn energy from progressive voters attracted to her background and platform, which includes childcare for all, free school meals, “Medicare for All” and a one-year moratorium on new data center construction.

“I got into this race because I know that we can win and that Wisconsinites are going to fight for one another and fight to be a part of the change,” Hong previously told The Guardian, “because they’re tired of people making decisions that don’t improve lives and they’re tired of the status quo.”

Hong’s rise has made Wisconsin the latest test of progressive strength after Abdul El-Sayed won Michigan’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate last week. But Wisconsin statewide races are often decided by narrow margins, and some Democrats have rallied around Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley as a more broadly electable option for November.

Crowley dropped out of the governor’s race in July, then reentered on July 18 with Evers’ support after Sara Rodriguez, once a top contender, left the race following campaign finance irregularities. Evers and Crowley toured the state in the final weeks, emphasizing Crowley’s ability to win a general election. Crowley, the first Black man to serve as Milwaukee County executive, has rejected the idea that he is part of the political establishment and has campaigned as someone who can work across the aisle in Madison.

The Democratic field has shifted repeatedly. It now includes Hong, Crowley, state Sen. Kelda Roys and former state administration department head Joel Brennan. Mandela Barnes, the 2022 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, dropped out July 31. A late-July Marquette University Law School poll found Hong leading, though many voters remained undecided.

Republicans have also focused on Hong. NPR reported that Crowley has pointed to millions of dollars spent by national Republican groups to boost her, saying they viewed her as easier to beat. The Guardian reported that Hong’s past comments, including a tweet calling to cancel Thanksgiving and previous support for defunding the police, have drawn scrutiny and attacks from Republicans led by Trump.

The Democratic winner is expected to face Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Trump-backed conservative with millions of dollars in campaign funds and support from GOP donors. Tiffany voted against certifying the 2020 election results and signed onto a lawsuit challenging Joe Biden’s 2020 Wisconsin victory. NPR reported that he faces only nominal opposition for the Republican nomination, while The Guardian described him as running unopposed.

Democrats hope to keep the governorship and flip both chambers of the Wisconsin Legislature, securing full control of state government. Republicans are trying to retain their legislative majorities and reclaim the governor’s office.

Wisconsin voters are also choosing a Democratic nominee in the western third congressional district to face Republican Derrick Van Orden. Rebecca Cooke, described by The Guardian as a “blue dog” Democrat who ran for the seat in 2022 and 2024, has national backing, including from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. She faces Emily Berge, a former Eau Claire City Council president, whose campaign has benefited from anti-establishment sentiment among some local Democrats.

In Minnesota, the open U.S. Senate race has become a contest over how Democrats should confront the Trump administration. Democratic Sen. Tina Smith is not seeking another term, creating the state’s first open Senate race in two decades. U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan are competing for the Democratic nomination.

The race has been shaped by Operation Metro Surge, Trump’s immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities earlier this year. Protests against deportation actions led to confrontations with federal officers, and Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti were fatally shot by federal agents weeks apart.

Flanagan has criticized Craig for voting for the Trump-backed Laken Riley Act, which allows detention of people without legal status who are charged with crimes ranging from minor theft to assault on law enforcement. “We can stand with the immigrant community, and not just when it’s politically expedient for us and that should be the expectation we have of our leaders,” Flanagan told supporters Saturday in St. Paul.

Craig has said she regrets the vote but argues she is best positioned to win statewide. “This is an existential moment in time,” Craig told Minnesota Public Radio News. “The only way we stop Donald Trump and Republicans is by winning elections. I am in the best position to win this statewide election.”

The Minnesota Democratic winner will face the victor of a Republican primary that includes sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya, Navy SEAL Adam Schwarze and former NBA player Royce White.