The Democratic primary for governor in Wisconsin was neck-and-neck early Wednesday morning, with democratic socialist state lawmaker Francesca Hong and moderate Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley separated by less than a percentage point.
The race was seen as a gauge of the party’s ideological direction — testing whether the progressive insurgency that has played out in deep-blue districts this spring and summer would extend into another presidential battleground.
Hong, though, faced deep concerns about her electability, and outgoing Gov. Tony Evers sought to rally Democrats behind Crowley in the race’s final days.
It was the most closely watched race on a primary day that included a Democratic Senate battle in Minnesota, a Republican Senate contest in South Carolina and a long-time incumbent being ousted in Connecticut. Here are takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries:
August has been a big test for the left-wing of the Democratic Party – a rare chance for it to demonstrate its ability to win not just in deep-blue urban areas but also swing states.
