Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor remained too close to call early Wednesday, August 12, after Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and Democratic state Rep. Francesca Hong finished election night separated by only a fraction of a percentage point.
Crowley, a more moderate Democrat backed by outgoing Gov. Tony Evers, held a narrow advantage over Hong, a Madison lawmaker and democratic socialist whose campaign had led pre-election polling.
The eventual winner will face Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in the November general election for an open governor’s seat in one of the nation’s most closely divided states, according to Reuters coverage of the primary.
Crowley and Hong Separated by Roughly 2,000 Votes
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As of 2:09 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Decision Desk HQ reported Crowley with 303,738 votes, or 39.83%, compared with 301,621 votes, or 39.55%, for Hong. More than 95% of the estimated vote had been counted, leaving Crowley ahead by 2,117 votes. State Sen. Kelda Roys was a distant third with 7.6%.
The Associated Press had not called the Democratic race. AP’s election coverage confirmed that Crowley and Hong were running neck and neck, while Tiffany had already won the Republican nomination against Andy Manske.
The closeness was striking because Hong entered primary day as the clear polling favorite. A Marquette University Law School poll released July 29 put Hong at 38% among Democratic primary voters, while Crowley had 7%. Another 34% remained undecided, leaving substantial room for the contest to move in its final two weeks.
Latest Count Was Delayed in Milwaukee
Part of the uncertainty late Tuesday stemmed from a counting delay in Milwaukee, Crowley’s political base. Milwaukee Election Commission Executive Director Paulina Gutiérrez said shortly after midnight that human error had caused results to be omitted from flash drives taken from the city’s central count location. Staff returned to retrieve the missing results, according to Wisconsin Public Radio.
The issue delayed reporting but was not described by election officials as evidence of lost or improperly counted ballots. Because the statewide margin was so small, however, the outstanding Milwaukee results carried unusual importance.
Election-night totals in Wisconsin are unofficial. Official numbers will not be finalized until the canvassing process is completed. State law also allows a losing candidate to request a recount when the final margin is within 1 percentage point, meaning a recount could become an option if the current gap persists.
Crowley’s Comeback Reshaped the Primary
Crowley’s position represented an extraordinary reversal from July. He withdrew from the governor’s race on July 8, then returned on July 18 after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez ended her own campaign amid problems involving her campaign finances. Evers, who had previously stayed neutral, then endorsed Crowley and campaigned for him during the closing stretch.
Hong, meanwhile, had consolidated support among the party’s progressive wing. Her platform has included higher taxes on billionaires and corporations, a one-year moratorium on new data centers and opposition to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The contest became a significant test of progressive strength within the Democratic Party in a major battleground state.
The race is also important because Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is not seeking a third term, creating Wisconsin’s first open gubernatorial contest since 2010. Democrats are seeking to retain the governor’s office while also competing for greater control of the state Legislature, as outlined in Wisconsin Watch’s election analysis.
What Happens Next in the Wisconsin Governor Race
The immediate question is whether the remaining unofficial vote gives either Crowley or Hong a decisive enough advantage for news organizations to project a winner. Neither campaign had conceded early Wednesday, and Hong told supporters Tuesday night that final results were still pending.
Whoever wins will move quickly into a general election against Tiffany, a conservative congressman backed by President Donald Trump who easily secured the Republican nomination Tuesday.
For Wisconsin Democrats, the final count will determine more than a nominee. It will decide whether the party enters November behind Hong’s progressive coalition or Crowley’s more establishment-oriented approach after a primary that proved dramatically closer than polling suggested.
