Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley defeated democratic socialist Francesca Hong in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary by roughly 3,000 votes, an upset that came after Crowley briefly dropped out of the race before re-entering with the backing of outgoing Gov. Tony Evers.
Crowley and Evers argued his more moderate profile made him the stronger candidate against the eventual Republican nominee, Rep. Tom Tiffany, in a swing state where independent voters often decide close elections. Hong had faced negative coverage after resurfaced old social media posts became a campaign issue.