Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has won Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor, narrowly defeating state Rep. Francesca Hong in one of Tuesday night’s closest major races.
With 99% of the expected vote counted, Crowley held 39.8% to Hong’s 39.3%, a difference of just 3,885 votes, according to results reported by The Political HQ.
A Race Decided by Less Than One Percentage Point
The Democratic contest remained extremely close throughout the night.
Crowley and Hong were separated by only about half a percentage point as nearly all expected votes were counted, making the race dramatically different from many of Tuesday’s more decisive primary results.
The outcome was also notable because Hong had entered Election Day with considerable momentum and had led in several pre-election polls.
Two Different Democratic Candidates
Crowley, the Milwaukee County Executive, campaigned on his experience running Wisconsin’s most populous county and presented himself as a candidate focused on government experience and statewide electability.
Hong, a Wisconsin state representative from Madison, ran to Crowley’s left and received support from progressive organizations, including the Democratic Socialists of America.
Their contest became one of the most closely watched Democratic primaries of the night, reflecting different approaches within the party ahead of the November election.
An Open Race for Governor
Wisconsin is electing a new governor after Democratic Gov. Tony Evers decided not to seek another term.
That turned what would otherwise have been an incumbent reelection campaign into a competitive open-seat race in one of the country’s most closely divided political states.
Crowley received Evers’ endorsement during the Democratic primary.
Crowley Will Face Tom Tiffany
With the Democratic primary behind him, Crowley now advances to the November general election.
His Republican opponent will be U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who won the Republican nomination.
Wisconsin has been one of America’s most competitive battleground states in recent elections, meaning the race between Crowley and Tiffany is likely to attract considerable national attention.
But Tuesday night belonged to one of the closest contests of the primary season.
After nearly all the votes were counted, less than one percentage point separated Wisconsin’s two leading Democratic candidates.
Source: The Political HQ / X