Primary takeaways: Dems’ left-center battle intensifies as Schumer takes another hit; split decision for Trump
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Video Socialist Hong on Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary: ‘we don’t have the final results right now but I do know we are ready to keep fighting’ Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong, a Wisconsin socialist, tells supporters ‘we have built something that will change politics forever’
MADISON, Wis. – For a second straight week, the progressive left-wing won a high-stakes Senate primary battle over the establishment in what is seen as a setback for longtime Democratic Senate Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer .
But the biggest ballot-box face-off between the far left and the center in the ongoing fight for the ideological future of the Democratic Party ended with a narrow victory for the establishment, as Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley defeated democratic socialist state Rep. Francesca Hong in Wisconsin's gubernatorial primary.
Meanwhile, the Democrats' generational showdown claimed another longtime member of Congress.
And it was a split decision for President Donald Trump 's endorsements in statewide Republican nomination contests, as Minnesota, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Vermont, South Carolina and Alabama held primaries on Tuesday.
Progressive firebrand Francesca Hong looks to topple the Democratic establishment in a closely watched Wisconsin showdown. (Talia Sprague/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
"I know we don’t have the final results right now, but I do know we are ready to keep fighting," Democratic gubernatorial candidate state Rep. Francesca Hong told supporters at a primary night event in Wisconsin's capital city before the race was called.
Hong, a former chef and single parent who is a Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member, narrowly lost to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who consolidated support from more mainstream Democrats and was backed by retiring Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
Crowley will face Rep. Tom Tiffany, who cruised to the GOP nomination. Tiffany is a hard-right member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus who was backed by Trump in the primary. The general election winner will succeed Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who decided against seeking a third term in office.
County Executive David Crowley speaks during a rally to get out the vote on the first day of early voting in the 2022 midterm elections on October 25, 2022, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ( Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for SEIU)
Hong was backed by top nationally known progressives, including Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Ro Khanna of California, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender. But two champions of the left, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, didn't endorse in the race.
Hong ran on a platform that includes guaranteed paid leave, boosting the state's minimum wage from $7.25 to $20 per hour and a one-year moratorium in Wisconsin on building AI data centers. Hong has faced scrutiny over years-old social media posts calling for defunding and abolishing the police. But she says she no longer supports cutting police budgets or abolishing police departments.
She also made national headlines over the past two weeks for a resurfaced social media post from 2020 where she argued that the country should "cancel Thanksgiving" in order to "stop celebrating colonialism."
Hong walked back her Thanksgiving comments amid backlash and now says that Thanksgiving is her "favorite holiday."
The Democratic primary was rocked this summer, as Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes , two of the major contenders for the gubernatorial nomination, exited the race. And Crowley, who earlier suspended his campaign and backed Rodriguez, re-entered the contest.
David Crowley, left, Democratic candidate for Wisconsin governor, points to a group of supporters while campaigning with Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in Sheboygan, Wis. (Kayla Wolf/AP Photo)
Crowley was backed by Evers, who joined him on the campaign trail in the closing stretch leading up to the primary, as they both questioned Hong's electability and warned that a victory by her would help Tiffany in the general election. Meanwhile, pro-GOP super PACs, including one aligned with the Republican Governors Association, shelled out millions of dollars to boost Hong in the primary, because they view her as the weakest Democratic candidate.
The final pre-primary polls indicated Hong with a healthy double-digit lead. But the polls were off again, as they were a week ago when left-wing Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed narrowly edged more moderate Rep. Haley Stevens for the party's Senate nomination in Michigan, which, along with Wisconsin, is a key Midwestern battleground.
While his margin was razor-thin, El-Sayed's win boosted the left. Fast-forward to this week, and progressives scored another victory, as Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan downed moderate Rep. Angie Craig by roughly 20 points to capture the Democratic Senate nomination.
Flanagan, who was backed by top progressives including Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, will now face off with GOP nominee Michele Tafoya, a former longtime NBC Sports reporter, in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Tina Smith.
Minnesota Lt. Gov. and candidate for U.S. Senate Peggy Flannagan, left, pictured alongside her Democratic challenger Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., right. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; David Berding/Getty Images)
It's been 24 years since a Republican won a U.S. Senate election in Minnesota. But Flanagan's victory may boost the GOP hopes of flipping the seat in a left-leaning but competitive state.
Craig was supported by Democratic establishment leaders, including Schumer. Craig's defeat is the second major setback for Schumer in a week, following El-Sayed's victory in Michigan. And Flanagan has said that if elected in November, she wouldn't support Schumer remaining as Democratic leader in the Senate.
Rep. John…
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