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Live updates: Democrats Francesca Hong and David Crowley locked in tight race for Wisconsin governor - CNN
From CNN via USVI News: Wisconsin state Assemblymember Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, is locked in a tight contest for the Democratic nomination for governor against David Crowley, the establishment-backed Milwaukee County executive. Follow our live updates.
David Crowley, a Milwaukee County executive, will win the Democratic nomination for governor in Wisconsin, CNN’s Decision Desk projects.
Crowley defeated Francesca Hong, a 37-year-old state assemblywoman and democratic socialist who sought to ride the momentum of recent progressive victories in Michigan, New York and Colorado.
The chaotic race saw the implosion of two top Democratic rivals’ campaigns — Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez exiting amid a campaign finance scandal, and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes dropping out in the final weeks. Crowley had dropped out in early July but as the field appeared to clear around Hong, he reactivated his campaign as a moderate alternative.
Hong’s stumbles blunted her momentum. She faced blowback over old social media posts in which she criticized the Thanksgiving holiday — failing to quiet the controversy in an uneven CNN interview, and later saying that she was joking. But other examples of far-left rhetoric and her affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America fueled electability concerns.
Crowley, meanwhile, benefited as the Democratic establishment coalesced to oppose Hong. He won the endorsement of outgoing Gov. Tony Evers late last month, and saw more than $3 million in outside spending support.
Their matchup exposed ideological divides wracking the Democratic Party across primaries this season. And Crowley advances to a high-stakes general election in a top battleground state, where each of the last three open-seat gubernatorial contests has flipped party control.
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