Like the Michigan Senate primary race, the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary on the Democrat side is giving establishment types on the Left some sleepless nights. A lot has unfolded in recent weeks, and only one candidate has been the beneficiary of all of it, which we'll get to in a minute.
The establishment's favorite to replace the retiring Gov. Tony Evers was Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez. But she recently suspended her campaign amid a finance reporting scandal where donations were overcounted, forcing her to admit she had much less money on hand than originally thought. Rodriguez exited ten days after another purportedly "moderate" candidate, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, dropped out and endorsed her.
In panic mode, the establishment quickly convinced Crowley to jump back into the race. But it was soon revealed that Crowley had a Platneresque scandal of his own.
SEE ALSO: DSA Frontrunner's Revisionist Act Falls Apart After WI Gov GOP Candidate Drops Receipts
Though it's unclear whether the scandal, which revolves around an X account from 15 years ago where sexist and homophobic things were written about women and the LGBTQ community (Crowley has denied he wrote the offending posts), has hurt him, available polling taken after Crowley's return shows it certainly hasn't helped.
In fact, they show DSA-backed state Rep. Francesca Hong, who establishment Dems are terrified will win the primary, maintaining a comfortable double-digit lead ahead of the August 11 primary (including in polls commissioned by some of the other Democrat candidates).
Here is the most recent one:
MARQUETTE: Wisconsin Governor Democratic Primary (with leaners)
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) July 29, 2026
🟦 Francesca Hong: 46%
🟦 Mandela Barnes: 21%
🟦 David Crowley: 11%
🟦 J. Brennan: 4%
🟦 Kelda Roys: 4%
⬜️ Not sure: 14%@MULawPoll (A) | 7/22-27 | 407 LV https://t.co/z5jStjNnQn pic.twitter.com/c07xxjxwg5
In other words, Hong has been the main beneficiary of the Dems in Disarray drama playing out in Wisconsin right now.
All of this, coupled with news reports swirling about a 2025 state Democrat Party investigation into allegations "that Barnes had taken advantage of his role in the party for sexual encounters with women," apparently led former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes to also end his campaign:
“Last night I had a very difficult conversation with staff,” Barnes said in a video on X. “We’re incredibly proud of all the things that we’ve accomplished and all the resources that we have raised to spread our message. But it’s become very clear who our nominee is going to be.”
That statement is a clear nod to state Rep. Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist who has expanded her polling lead ahead of the Aug. 11 primary.
[...]
Still, Barnes’ move could give Crowley a boost among Democrats who are looking for an alternative to Hong, who some in the party fear would be a weak general election candidate in the swing state due to her progressive views.
(For what's worth, the Wisconsin Democrat Party "determined [the allegations] were too vague to be verified and did not take further action.")
The Trump-backed presumptive GOP nominee, Rep. Tom Tiffany (WI-07), has been zeroing in on Hong's radical record and bizarro DSA positions for weeks, perhaps with the understanding in mind that she will likely be his general election opponent.
Last night, socialist @FrancescaHongWI claimed she doesn’t agree with the entire DSA platform. So we checked her record:
— Tom Tiffany (@TomTiffanyWI) July 29, 2026
-Abolish the Senate? Yes.
-Abolish ICE, prisons, and the police? Yes.
-Mass amnesty? Yes.
-Transition Wisconsin away from defense manufacturing? Yes. pic.twitter.com/ytzRSDA2kl
But though Hong's track record is going to be easy to pick apart in the general (assuming she wins the nomination), the Tiffany campaign shouldn't assume this is going to be a cakewalk.
Milwaukee GOP Vice Chair Brett Galaszewski, who is also Turning Point Action's National Enterprise Director, explained why on X:
We as conservatives in Wisconsin need to be careful with this "Hong is done for" mentality.
Yes, I LOVE our chances with her vs. @TomTiffanyWI.
But we're also watching Hong evolve in real time.
She's polishing her image, dressing more like a governor, and walking back a lot of the DSA-aligned things she has said in the past.
She's also surrounded herself with new faces/consultants — including what appears to be a new comms director who was with her in the spin room video circulating this week.
I think the WisDems upper brass knows she has a real path and is pushing serious resources/consultants in.
We have to stay disciplined.
The moment you assume a race is over is the moment you stop doing the work it takes to win. Complacency loses elections!
Never let up. Even if you are comfortably ahead, always campaign like you are 20 points behind. Always.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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