Wisconsin and Minnesota are holding Democratic primaries on Tuesday featuring contests between progressive candidates and establishment-backed opponents, continuing a pattern of internal party divisions that has intensified over the past week.
In Wisconsin, democratic socialist Francesca Hong is competing in a four-way Democratic gubernatorial primary against David Crowley, who received the endorsement of Gov. Tony Evers on July 18. Crowley had previously exited the race but reentered after the candidacy of Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez ended due to campaign finance issues. Other candidates including former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes have dropped out but remain on ballots as absentee votes cannot be rescinded. Evers and Crowley have been campaigning together in the final days, with Evers arguing that Crowley represents the best chance to defeat Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in the general election. The Republican Governors Association has spent approximately $3.6 million on advertisements contrasting Hong with President Donald Trump, with Democrats arguing this Republican spending is designed to boost Hong in the primary as the candidate they view as more beatable in November.
The Minnesota U.S. Senate primary features moderate U.S. Rep. Angie Craig against progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. The race has been shaped by recent federal immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis that resulted in deaths and sparked Democratic backlash against Trump administration policies. The contest has drawn millions in spending, with more funds flowing to Craig’s campaign. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has not endorsed in the primary, though his wife Gwen Walz has campaigned with Craig. The winner will be positioned as the frontrunner to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Tina Smith in November.
These primaries follow Abdul El-Sayed’s narrow victory over Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s U.S. Senate primary a week earlier. Democratic Party leaders have expressed concerns that leftward shifts in battleground states could complicate general election prospects, while progressive advocates view momentum as building in their direction. Additional primaries are occurring in Connecticut and Vermont, with various candidates facing challenges from both progressive and establishment wings of the party.
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