Tipsheet

Here's a Recap of Last Night's WisDem Debate

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  July 29, 2026 10:30 AM

We're not even sure why the Wisconsin Democrats (WisDems) held a debate last night. With two weeks to the primary, it's clear that Francesca Hong is running away with the race, and that bringing David Crowley back to maybe beat her was just a humiliation ritual for him.

Polls show Hong at 44 percent, almost 30 points ahead of Crowley and Barnes.

Good night, nurse.

But that doesn't mean there weren't some interesting tidbits from the debate worth hammering. First, we'll start with Hong and her lie about her tax plan.

Yes, she did. Hong's plan would increase the top bracket by 10 percent, to 17.7 percent.

Of course she's lying.

She's getting hammered on it, too.

She also tried to distance herself from her fellow Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)

But as we pointed out, Hong was calling for the abolition of the Senate—a major plank in the DSA platform—back in 2021.

Leftists always do this. They run as moderates and rule as radicals.

Hong will be no different.

Hong and the other Democrats also refused to give the state's surplus back to voters.

"Public safety" is expensive.

Hong did throw her principles under the bus, and was questioned about it.

"If anyone's been defunding the police, it's Robin Vos and Republicans who have not been adequately funding shared revenue," Hong said. "And you have seen that local governments have had to make very difficult decisions. And I believe that as governor, that we want to make sure that we're prioritizing public safety and I believe that those types of bills that could include more investments in things that prevent crime. If you want to be tough on crime, you better be tough on the causes."

"The reality of this moment, and the types of public safety systems that we have, I want us to be sensible and realistic," she continued, "we know now that billions invested in the criminal legal system is not working. We are spending on incarcerating an individual more than tuition at UW-Madison. This is about making sure local law enforcement is working with the community, that we are taking resources from the state and investing in things like public education, victim services, out-of-school programs for our kids to go ... these are things that data and facts have shown that prevent crime. Again, if you want to be tough on crime, you better be tough on causes."

She was once again asked about abolishing the police long term. "I believe that we have to be serious about public safety and I'm going to be a governor that is more serious than anyone else that we are building systems of care, that we are focusing on lowering crimes, getting guns off of our street, and making sure that folks who are incarcerated ... that we're lowering recidivism rates," Hong said.

"Folks who are working within our prisons, they have some of the highest suicide rates of any job and occupation. This system is not working," she added. "If we want to be serious we better be putting these billions into the things we know prevent crime."

School and housing and free socialist stuff does not prevent crime. Putting people in prison does.

It seems some Redditors were not impressed with Hong and found Joel Brennan and Kelda Roys more palatable.

Because he knows he's losing, Mandela Barnes decided to take shots at David Crowley's height.

That's mature.

The primary is August 11, and Hong is basically a lock at this point.