US Primaries: Tight Race in Wisconsin and Lessons from the Results
Sarah Shamim
Primary results in Wisconsin reveal deep divisions within the Democratic Party between moderates and progressives. Meanwhile, a close ally of former President Trump lost in Minnesota, but another candidate he endorsed won in Alabama.
Tuesday's primary election in Wisconsin highlighted an extremely tight race within the Democratic Party between social democrat Francesca Hong and moderate candidate David Crowley. With 94% of votes counted, the margin between the two candidates was less than one percentage point.
According to the AP, Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive backed by incumbent Governor Tony Evers, led with 39.9% of the vote, while Hong had 39.5%. The winner will face Republican nominee Tom Tiffany—who secured the nomination with 95.3% of the vote—in the November general election.
Hong's campaign, featuring left-leaning policies such as abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), imposing a one-year moratorium on new data centers, and raising taxes on the super-rich, attracted a significant share of Democratic voters. This aligns with a Reuters/Ipsos poll showing growing numbers of Democratic voters favoring a more progressive party candidate.
According to the survey, more than 7 in 10 liberal Democratic voters consider it “essential” for candidates to support raising taxes on corporations and the super-rich (76%), expanding abortion access (72%), and a government-provided universal healthcare program (71%).
However, unlike Abdul El-Sayed—the progressive candidate who won the Senate primary in Michigan earlier this month—Hong did not receive endorsements from Senator Bernie Sanders or Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Hong also faced criticism over past social media posts, including a November 2020 message urging people not to gather for Thanksgiving. In recent interviews, she has clarified her stance.
Minnesota: Progressives Win, Trump Ally Defeated
Minnesota’s Senate primary also showed momentum for progressive candidates as Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, a progressive, defeated moderate Representative Angie Craig with 59% of the vote versus 39.4%.
The Midwest results also raised questions about the influence of former President Donald Trump’s endorsements. In Minnesota, Mike Lindell, former CEO of MyPillow, lost the Republican gubernatorial nomination to state House Speaker Lisa Demuth, despite Trump’s enthusiastic support. With 99% of votes counted, Demuth received 43.4% while Lindell got only 32.5%.
Lindell is a vocal proponent of the conspiracy theory that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen.” Demuth is expected to face Senator Amy Klobuchar, who secured the Democratic nomination amid fallout from the Trump administration’s “Operation Metro Surge” immigration crackdown, which led to the deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis.
Alabama: Trump-Backed Candidate Wins
A Trump-endorsed candidate won the Republican primary in Alabama’s newly redrawn 2nd Congressional District. Rhett Marques won with 50% of the vote, while Hampton Harris trailed with 21.6%.
In April, the Supreme Court allowed Louisiana Republicans to redraw their electoral maps. The new map is seen as favoring Republicans by eliminating one of two majority-Black districts, raising hopes that the party could flip a seat from Democrats. The Republican nominee will face Democratic incumbent Shomari Figures, who is seeking a second term.
Race to Replace Lindsey Graham Still Undecided
Darline Graham, sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, advanced to a runoff in the Republican primary for South Carolina’s Senate seat. With 32.7% of the vote, she will face Representative Ralph Norman (24.7%) in an election on August 25. Graham, endorsed by Trump, has faced criticism for never holding public office, with detractors saying her campaign relies on family name and political backing rather than her own qualifications.
