There is not enough coffee in the world to get through this post-primary Wednesday. Like many writers, pundits, and political writers, I was up until the wee hours watching the chaos unfold in Wisconsin's Democrat governor primary race. For weeks, we were told Francesca Hong, the card-carrying member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) was beating all the competition by double digits.
Last night she lost to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley by just 0.42 percent, or roughly 3,200 votes. Neither Hong nor Crowley cracked 40 percent in their totals, and they both underperformed on their home turf, Dane County and Milwaukee County, respectively.
There's a lot of doom and gloom on our side of the aisle this morning that has nothing to do with a lack of sleep. Many, myself included, believed that Republican Tom Tiffany had a solid shot at winning the general election against Hong, who was bat-guano crazy and didn't hide it. Now they seem to think Crowley will win, and the betting markets and polls reflect that.
You know, the same betting markets and polls that said Francesca Hong would trounce Crowley by 22 points. I confess that I voted for Hong in yesterday's primary. I was spooked enough by the Crowley memo I wrote about last week to pull the lever for her. But I also knew it was a big risk. What if a lot of conservatives did the same thing, pushed Hong through the primary, and she ended up winning the general election?
That would have been disastrous, not just for Wisconsin, but for the country. It would have given the DSA energy and momentum to keep pushing candidates in other races, local and national.
Some GOPers and strategists are angry Francesca Hong lost. I'm glad.
— Jay Weber (@JayWeber3) August 12, 2026
I don't want a bipolar socialist anywhere near the WI Gov's mansion. A big blue turnout in fall could have put her in office.
Moreover, now her young supporters are POed and some could stay home in fall.
It will be tremendous fun to watch Hong's base go full-blown racist against Crowley, of course. And many of them likely will stay home. Heck, they couldn't even be bothered to come out and vote for Hong yesterday; they're not going to bother pulling the lever for a guy they didn't like.
For some reason, Crowley is being painted as a moderate alternative to Hong, someone with no real scandals or problems that could be turned into political fodder. That's demonstrably false. For starters, Crowley is the Milwaukee County Executive. Outside of Milwaukee and Dane Counties, that carries negative baggage. Many Wisconsinites see Milwaukee as a crime-ridden hellhole that sucks tax dollars from the rest of the state and squanders them. They're not wrong. While Crowley is not in charge of Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS), for example, he's done nothing to address the problems plaguing the district, which is majority black, and where black students test at the bottom nationally in reading and math.
Additionally, Milwaukee has the highest sales tax in the state, high property taxes exacerbated by Gov. Tony Evers' 400-year tax hike, and he messed up healthcare for county employees, their dependents, and retirees by failing to renew the contract with UnitedHealthcare when it expired at the end of last year. That last one hits home; my father worked for Milwaukee County for more than two decades and set up his retirement so his health insurance would cover my mother even after his death. Thanks to Crowley's incompetence, she — who is in her 70s and has a slew of health issues — went without coverage for weeks. That possibly makes her, and thousands of others, liable for any medical costs incurred during that period.
David Crowley has his own social media problems, oversaw the highest sales tax in WI, raised property taxes, and messed up healthcare in Milwaukee County. pic.twitter.com/14T4pUD1we
— Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) August 12, 2026
The city of Milwaukee is the most violent in the state of Wisconsin and one of the most violent cities in the nation. As far as I'm aware, Crowley hasn't offered any insight or plans to address that crime, and it will — and should — be tied to his campaign.
What's he going to say when that happens? When all the problems in Milwaukee are tied to his performance as County Executive? Will he say, "That wasn't my job" and attempt to pass the buck? That's a great strategy for a guy who says he wants to be the leader of the entire state.
But if anyone, especially anyone from the Tiffany campaign is reading this, the most important takeaway is that Crowley himself has said his policies aren't all that different from Francesca Hong's anti-police, anti-prison, high-tax policies.
I'll offer a quick reminder per yesterday's result:
— The Badger Pundit (@JamesBohnWI) August 12, 2026
Crowley states that is policies are the same as Hong's.
Yesterday's outcome means only that there will be a different person on the ballot in November, not different policies. It's the policies that are the problem. pic.twitter.com/hY0uIPJZZ0
Will David Crowley tell black parents in Milwaukee that he's going to force 15,000 children back into failing MPS? Will he tell moms in Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha that he's going to turn criminals loose, abolish law enforcement, and close our prisons? Will he tell girls and their parents that they have to change clothing in front of boys in their locker rooms and risk injury by competing against them in sports?
Crowley has problems. And if Tom Tiffany can campaign on a message as he did in this ad, he's got more than a good shot to win in November.
🚨NEW AD: Anyone can yell into a bullhorn. Wisconsin needs a leader who will actually fix problems with common-sense solutions.
— Tom Tiffany (@TomTiffanyWI) August 11, 2026
Kids who can read. Prices you can see. A home you can own. That’s a Wisconsin that works for everyone. pic.twitter.com/rGduc7qp8M
This race isn't over. As we learned yesterday, the only poll that matters is the one taken on election day.
