Francesca Hong is leading the Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary while the effort to stop her has splintered. She enters the race as the front-runner, with Tony Evers backing David Crowley after his July 18 return and Sara Rodriguez already out of the field.
Crowley’s internal poll released last week put him 21 points behind Hong and one point behind Mandela Barnes. Hong said in an interview with The American Prospect, "Voters are telling us that they are ready for a new type of leadership, one that prioritizes the issues that working-class people care about and that requires transformative change from new leaders."
Francesca Hong in Madison
Hong first won election to the Wisconsin state assembly in 2020 and represents a district that includes Madison. Before that, she worked in the restaurant industry for over a decade. She is also a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
Her rise has come with steady support that now looks broader than the field around her. She has been profiled in national publications like, and the report says she has the largest donor base in the race, regardless of party. That gives her a financial edge while primary voters are still sorting through a crowded field.
Tony Evers and David Crowley
Evers endorsed Crowley when Crowley re-entered the race on July 18. Crowley is Milwaukee County executive, and his return gave Democrats a new candidate to rally around after months of trying to coalesce behind Sara Rodriguez.
That push unraveled after Rodriguez dropped out following a campaign finance scandal. With her out, the anti-Hong effort is now split between Crowley and Barnes, leaving Democrats without a single lane to consolidate opposition against Hong.
The race now turns on whether that split changes anything before Wisconsin Democratic voters cast their ballots. The stakes reach beyond one nomination: if Democrats keep the governor’s seat, they would be two Senate seats and five Assembly seats away from regaining total control of state government for the first time since 2010.
