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In the final days before Tuesday’s primary, Wisconsin Democrats are still grappling with who will be their party’s gubernatorial nominee. The stakes couldn’t be higher — the party has a chance to take full control of state government for the first time in 16 years.
The struggle is real: Should they go with a more moderate, establishment-backed candidate with executive experience or a rising progressive popular among young grassroots activists?
Wisconsin Watch traveled to different polling locations and coffee shops around the state to talk with Wisconsin voters about how they’re feeling about the upcoming election.
Kathleen O’Laughlin, a 69-year-old former Milwaukee public school teacher and Souls to the Polls volunteer, said she will likely vote for Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley because she thinks he has the best chance at winning in November.
While O’Laughlin said she supports democratic socialism, she’s not impressed with Madison Rep. Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist who has steadily grown her lead in polling over the past eight months.
“I don’t feel like she has the personality,” O’Laughlin said. “I don’t think she has what it takes to represent the party.”
Steven Daw, a 24-year-old retail worker and Milwaukee chapter member of the Democratic Socialists of America, sees Hong as someone who engages people who may not be as in tune with politics.
“She’s made it tangible for people to feel that she can actually improve things,” Daw said. “She has to follow through on that, which comes with the Democrats winning a legislative majority too.”
Democratic primary voters will decide Tuesday on a gubernatorial nominee among four candidates: Hong, Crowley, state Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, and former Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan. Roys and Brennan have lagged in polling, while Crowley received a rare endorsement from Gov. Tony Evers, who has been stumping with Crowley for the past week.
Republicans have held a majority in the state Legislature since 2011. The GOP enacted an aggressive conservative agenda, including gerrymandered legislative maps that protected their majority against a Democratic wave election in 2018, when Evers was first elected. Over two terms, Evers mostly moderated the legislative Republican agenda and notched few major Democratic wins. Democrats need to keep all of their current seats as well as flip two Senate and five Assembly seats to gain a majority and then hold on to the governor’s office to enact progressive policies.
Whoever wins the Democratic primary will likely face Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is endorsed by the state party and President Donald Trump. Tiffany was elected to the Legislature as part of the 2010 Republican tea party wave and advocated for overturning the 2020 presidential election results.
Crowley leads fundraising among Democratic candidates in recent campaign finance reports with about $463,000 cash on hand. Hong trailed closely with $406,000, while Brennan had about $284,000 and Roys had about $81,000. Tiffany had nearly $5 million on hand, with $4 million coming from the state GOP in July.
A July 29 Marquette University Law School poll found that 34% of Democratic primary voters were undecided. Hong has grown her polling lead over her opponents throughout the race with strong support among young voters.
The final Marquette Poll before the primary showed Hong with 38% support among all Democratic primary voters and 66% among ages 18 to 29.
Sophie Cleveland, a 2026 University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate from East Troy, said she aligns more with Hong’s views, and she liked the approach Hong took after a Madison police officer fatally shot Corey Ruiz in July in the legislative district she represents. Hong called the incident an “execution.”
“I appreciate the … working with community members to find a source, not being afraid to speak out about certain issues that matter, but also acting in partnership with the community and not shying away from the ugly,” Cleveland said.
Alyssa Wisneski, 29, a public school teacher and small business owner from Bay View, said she feels frustrated with the Democratic Party as leaders push for a candidate other than Hong.
“The majority of voters want Francesca Hong,” Wisneski said. “The party itself is trying to get people around a candidate that’s not her. I feel like that’s very frustrating.”
In the last Marquette Poll before the election, Hong held a strong lead with voters 30 to 59 years old. But among voters over 60 she was behind former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who dropped out two weeks ago.
Hong has received backlash from Republicans as old social media posts have resurfaced in which she voiced support for canceling Thanksgiving and abolishing the U.S. Senate. In the final weeks of the primary campaign she has made multiple national media appearances on CNN, Fox News and Politico defending herself for those comments.
Some Democrats have criticized Hong’s response, with Evers saying during recent campaign stops with Crowley that Hong has spent more time dealing with what she posted on social media than focusing on issues.
Crowley’s support is stronger among older voters. He polled at 4% among 18 to 29 year olds, but 9% with voters 45 and older.
Gary, in his mid-70s, who declined to give his last name, said he wished the Democratic primary hadn’t been as “congested” with all the seven original candidates still on the ballot. He said Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez was his first choice before she dropped out.
He said while Hong “talks about some good things,” he doesn’t think she can win over northern Wisconsin.
“I’m sure the Republicans are gonna be happy if she gets it,” Gary said.
The Marquette Poll shows Tiffany leading Hong in the general election by 3 percentage points, though among those who say they are certain to vote in November, the two are tied.
While several Democratic voters said they were upset Evers endorsed Crowley, Gary said it didn’t bother him because he believes Crowley can beat Tiffany in November. He hopes the next governor can work across the aisle, but he’s skeptical Tiffany would do that.
“You need somebody that’s got to compromise,” Gary said. “I think the guy from Milwaukee has a good shot at doing that.”
Michelle Novak, who’s in her late 50s from Delafield, said she’s “not jazzed about the candidates,” but likes that the Democrats have been given more options and can have a “real primary.” She said she doesn’t define herself within a party, but does look into people’s positions and voting records.
She noted her pro-life stance, which typically aligns with the Republican Party, but she said she’s not happy with there being so few options in the Republican primary.
“We’re in a place right now where I just feel like we have to hear people, and the more people that enter into a debate or into a conversation, politically, is better,” Novak said. “I feel like it’s the party’s responsibility to bring people into more of a discussion.”
While Roys and Brennan have trailed behind their primary opponents in polling, their supporters are bucking Evers’ call to rally behind one alternative to Hong.
Jill Kessenich, a 63-year-old artist from Fort Atkinson, said she feels “discombobulated” with the state of the Democratic primary.
Crowley had originally caught Kessenich’s eye, but after watching the July 28 debate hosted by WISN, she said she will likely vote for Roys. She said Crowley didn’t do as well in the debate, while Roys’ performance, on the other hand, impressed her, and she said Roys has the right experience to be governor.
Robert Schroeder, 67, doesn’t know if Brennan stands a chance in the primary, but said he will likely vote for him. He did note that his vote was still “up for grabs,” but also said he thinks Brennan stands out to him and is a “common sense, get things done kind of guy.”
He mentioned that he likes Crowley, but it might be difficult for a Milwaukee Democrat to win. He also said Hong’s stance as a democratic socialist likely won’t win over Wisconsin.
“(Hong) is in her moment,” Schroeder said. “Here in Wisconsin, I don’t think it’s gonna sell.”
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In the final days of Wisconsin’s gubernatorial primary, Democratic voters are still split is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.
