David Crowley's razor-thin primary win sets up Wisconsin governor's race against Trump's pick - AP News

David Crowley, the moderate Democratic Milwaukee County executive, narrowly defeated democratic socialist state Rep. Francesca Hong in Wisconsin's Democratic gubernatorial primary held Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, upsetting pundits and pollsters who had long favored Hong.
Crowley is seeking to become Wisconsin's first Black governor and framed himself as the candidate best able to win the November general election.
He will face Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, whom Crowley's camp highlights as having voted with President Donald Trump 100% of the time, in a contest playing out as Trump's approval ratings decline in the swing state.
At a unity event on Wednesday, Aug. 12, alongside Hong and other Democratic leaders in Middleton, Crowley pledged to assemble a broad coalition that includes Hong's progressive supporters.
Crowley, known for working across party lines, said the race is "not establishment versus progressive" and signaled he would center his campaign on tying Tiffany to the Make America Great Again movement.
Sarah Godlewski is running as the Democratic lieutenant governor nominee alongside Crowley, while Tiffany appeared at a July 29 Kenosha campaign event with fellow Wisconsin Republican Rep. Bryan Steil.