David Crowley and Tom Tiffany Win Wisconsin Gubernatorial Primaries

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley narrowly won the Democratic primary for Governor of Wisconsin on August 12, 2026, defeating Democratic Socialist State Representative Francesca Hong. Crowley secured 39.8% of the vote to Hong's 39.4%, a margin of approximately 3,000 votes. The victory was an upset, as polling had previously projected Hong to win by more than 10 points. Crowley's campaign was bolstered by the endorsement of retiring Governor Tony Evers, who encouraged Crowley to re-enter the race after he had previously suspended his campaign.

Francesca Hong's campaign struggled in the final weeks due to scrutiny over past social media posts calling for the abolition of police and the cancellation of Thanksgiving. Republicans spent millions on ads supporting Hong in an attempt to ensure a progressive nominee who might alienate moderate voters in the general election. The final results were delayed until early Wednesday morning due to human errors in Milwaukee and server issues in Winnebago County.

On the Republican side, U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany won a decisive victory, securing 95.3% of the vote. Endorsed by Donald Trump and supported by millions of dollars from the Republican Party of Wisconsin, Tiffany focused his platform on lowering property taxes and controlling utility costs. He will be joined on the ticket by Lieutenant Governor nominee David Varnam.

In a separate race, Democrat Rebecca Cooke won the primary for Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District, setting up a rematch against incumbent Republican Derrick Van Orden. The general election for governor and the congressional seat will take place on November 3.