Updated 1w+ ago · Politics
Progressive Democrat Francesca Hong Poised to Win Wisconsin Governor Primary
Wisconsin and Minnesota Democrats vote Tuesday in primaries that pit progressive insurgents against candidates backed by party leaders. The contests follow progressive Abdul El-Sayed's narrow Senate primary win in Michigan last week.
- Republican Governors Association spent nearly $3.6 million on ads boosting Hong in Wisconsin.
- Crowley's top rival, Tiffany, raised more than $15 million, including a $10 million state GOP transfer.
- Craig raised $12.7 million in Minnesota; Flanagan raised $6.6 million through July 22.
- A final SurveyUSA poll shows Craig leading Flanagan 42% to 40% in Minnesota.
Why it matters: Wisconsin's governor certifies presidential election results — a role that Democratic leaders say makes the seat especially consequential. Democrats also need the office to pursue a state governing trifecta for the first time in 16 years.
- Minnesota's Senate primary has been shaped by the deaths of two people killed by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis this year.
- Katie deGruyter of the centrist Democratic group Third Way told the Washington Examiner there are "three conservatives for every two liberals in every single battleground state," arguing nominees must win beyond the liberal base.
How 52 sources split on this story
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52 sources · 89 articles · 36% Center coverage
Where they split: The core dispute is whether progressive nominees can win general elections in battleground states — or whether they hand Republicans an easier path to victory.
Center coverage, 19 sources: The center presents both races as genuine ideological tests for the Democratic Party, reporting establishment fears about general-election viability alongside progressive momentum without favoring either argument.
Associated Press1w+What to watch Tuesday: Primaries in Wisconsin and Minnesota showcase Democratic dividePBS NewsHour1w+What to watch in primaries in Wisconsin and Minnesota and beyondYahoo News1w+Wisconsin progressive Hong's supporters are confident she's the answer to affordability ahead of primaryThe National Desk1w+Tuesday primaries in Wisconsin, South Carolina and Minnesota to shape strategiesForbes1w+Why The GOP Might Be Rooting For Francesca Hong—While Some Progressives Avoid HerNewsweek1w+Francesca Hong's chances of beating David Crowley in Wisconsin: Final pollsThe Hill1w+Watch live: DDHQ, The Hill track and analyze primary elections in WI, SC, MN and moreUSA Today1w+Live primary updates: All eyes on Upper Midwest (again) in Aug. 11 electionsBloomberg1w+Democratic Socialists Seek Latest Victory in Wisconsin PrimaryCNBC1w+Democrats clash again in Minnesota and Wisconsin primaries as big midterm races take shapeFinancial Times1w+Democratic socialist leads Wisconsin governor’s race as progressives gain groundFortune1w+Meet the 37-year-old single mother and former line cook rattling Democratic moderates in Wisconsin | FortuneJerusalem Post1w+Pro-Palestinian democratic socialist Francesca Hong polling far ahead in Wisconsin governor’s raceNPR1w+In Minnesota and Wisconsin, competitive primaries will again test power of progressive candidatesRealClearPolitics1w+WI Dems on Verge of a Comeback...But There's a CatchReuters1w+In Upper Midwest primaries, a test of progressive energy and Trump's influenceSemafor1w+Voters head to polls in South Carolina, Wisconsin, MinnesotaThe Week1w+The Left: Should Democrats embrace ‘democratic socialists’?Times of Israel1w+Pro-Palestinian progressive poised to win Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor
Left coverage, 18 sources: The left frames Hong and Flanagan as authentic responses to voter frustration with a status-quo Democratic establishment, emphasizing grassroots energy and questioning whether moderate candidates reliably win either.
The Guardian1w+Wisconsin considers democratic socialist for governor amid US wave of progressive winsTime1w+In Wisconsin, Moderates Hope Crowley Can Block Socialist HongThe Boston Globe1w+What to watch Tuesday: Primaries in Wisconsin and Minnesota showcase Democratic divideABC News1w+Progressive vs. moderate showdown for Senate seat tops Minnesota primariesThe New Republic1w+The Big Question in Iowa’s Senate RaceThe New York Times1w+Will the Left Keep Winning in the Midwest? What to Watch in Tuesday’s Primaries.Al Jazeera1w+What to watch in Wisconsin’s high-stakes primaryCNN1w+Wisconsin weighs a democratic socialist governor and other key races to watch in Tuesday’s primariesDaily Kos1w+This GOP ghoul could be a gift to splintered Wisconsin DemocratsLos Angeles Times1w+Wisconsin and Minnesota primaries next to feature progressive clash with Democratic establishmentMSNBC1w+Francesca Hong is the latest DSA candidate to surge. But she is aiming to represent a purple state.Political Wire1w+Will the Left Keep Winning in the Midwest?Politico1w+Progressives could score a huge Wisconsin win Tuesday. Some national figures don’t want to touch it.Talking Points Memo1w+Trump-Backed Election Denier Expected to Secure GOP Nomination for Wisconsin GovernorThe Independent1w+Tuesday’s primaries will give Democrats a big idea on how much the far left has taken hold of the partyThe Nation1w+Wisconsin Socialists Have a Proud History in the Democratic PartyThe New Yorker1w+Wisconsin Primary-Election Map: Live ResultsThe Root1w+What the Wisconsin Primary Can Tell Us About Black Voters and Democratic Socialism – The Root
Right coverage, 15 sources: The right frames the progressive surge as a strategic liability for Democrats, highlighting electability math, fundraising gaps, and the centrist case that swing-state nominees must appeal beyond the liberal base.
Washington Examiner1w+Wisconsin Democrats plan unity tour to turn page on intense gubernatorial primaryFox News1w+Former Wisconsin Gov Scott Walker warns Hong ‘undermining one of her strengths’ with campaign backtrackingTownhall1w+'They Want Socialists': WI Conservative Radio Host Explains Why Hong Is Winning the PrimaryNew York Post1w+DSA darling Francesca Hong doesn't just want to cancel Thanksgiving — all her nuttiest takes ahead of pivotal Wisconsin primaryThe Epoch Times1w+South Carolina, Wisconsin, Others Hold Primaries: What to WatchThe Washington Times1w+Races in Upper Midwest highlight Democrats' fight over the party's futureHot Air1w+Panic at the Wisco: Dems Realizing Hong Might Cost Them MidtermsJust the News1w+Wisconsin governor race could continue socialist wave as GOP faces crucial primariesNewsmax1w+Progressives Test Democrats in Wis., Minn. PrimariesNTD1w+What to Watch in Tuesday's Primaries: Wisconsin, Minnesota Showcase Democratic DividePJ Media1w+Why the Wisconsin Governors' Race Will Define the Midterms for RepublicansPower Line1w+Socialists unite!RedState1w+New Dem Talking Point on the DSA Emerges, and Francesca Hong Just Demonstrated Why It Won't WorkThe Daily Caller1w+ROOKE: Socialism Is So Hot Right Now. But One Candidate Seems Too Toxic For Even ThemThe Daily Signal1w+Wisconsin's Democratic Party Faces Pivotal Moment Ahead
What’s next: The Wisconsin primary winner faces Tiffany, who is endorsed by Trump and unopposed in his primary.
- Connecticut and other states also hold primaries Tuesday, with veteran Democratic incumbents facing left-wing challengers.
- Can a democratic socialist win a general election in Wisconsin, which Trump carried in both 2016 and 2024?
- How much did Republican spending on ads boosting Hong actually move primary voters?
- Will El-Sayed's narrow Michigan win prove a model for progressives — or a cautionary tale about polling accuracy?
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