Wisconsin Democrats to Score Big in today's Primaries

Today is primary day in Wisconsin and the Democrats are on a beeline to victory.

Francesca Hong, the 37-year-old restaurateur and chef-turned-member of the state Assembly, is leading in polls by relatively wide margins ahead of Tuesday's Democratic gubernatorial primary. AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Wisconsin Democrats are looking to make a significant comeback in the State's November midterms. They are now just two seats short in the state Senate and five seats short in the state Assembly which, if overcome, will ensure they have total control over the state government.

Historically, Wisconsin has fluctuated between Republican control and Democrat control. Some of the most powerful unions had secured a Socialist version of the Democrat Party, which is in resonance with the smashing victories scored by Democrat Socialists across the country as they are ditching the so-called "moderate" Democrat candidates who appear willing to cater to disaffected but still Trump-prone voters. 

The Democrats are looking to undo all the Trump-induced MAGA retreats in social services: They want to expand healthcare, increase education funding and rebuild the state's labor movement that was the bedrock of the Democrat Party.

In recent decades, Trump won Wisconsin by very narrow wins (0.77% margin in 2016; and 0.86% margin in 2024), which suggests a flip back to the state's Democrat control is extremely likely as a result of Trump's tanking popularity, and the anger he has stirred among workers and famers because of his tariffs. 

Trump's victories in 2016 and 2024 come on the heels of a streak of seven consecutive Democrat presidential wins from 1988 to 2012. Between 2000 and 2024, Wisconsin voted Republican in only 28.6% of presidential elections, compared to 71.4% for Democrats. This suggests that Trump's lies and false promises that gave him these marginal victories in Wisconsin are a thing of the past. The state's electorate finally understood that Trump is a cheat and a fraud, and a swing back to the state's traditional Democrat base is within sight.

Francesca Hong is a 37-year-old restaurateur and chef-turned-member of the state Assembly. She is ahead by leagues for today's (Tuesday) Democratic gubernatorial primary. Hong is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America who hail mostly from the liberal state capital of Madison.

Her opponent among the Republicans is none else than Tom Tiffany who is a radical-right republican member of the House Freedom Caucus. He has the backing of Donald Trump with whom he is in cahoots by voting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. As such, Tiffany is a born loser in these elections. But Hong has to first defeat Democrat David Crowley who has been arguing that she could lose the race against Tiffany, a reflection of the ongoing civil war between so-called "moderate" Democrats and the Democrat Socialists. 

Hong meanwhile keeps pushing her message: "It is about the solutions, not just the labels," Hong said. "The solutions we're presenting actually meet the moment to solve the problem that the system is rigged against working-class people."

Although polling indicates Hong still has a healthy lead, Crowley and his allies are hoping for a repeat of last week's Democratic primary in Michigan, where a centrist candidate outperformed the polls.

Crowley, despite a reputation as a fairly progressive county executive, has been running as a centrist, talking up the need for pragmatism and finding solutions rather than dreaming of systemic change. That retreat by Crowley from aggressive posturing is seen as his Achilles heel and indicates perhaps a lack of conviction on his part given his past.  "It's just disqualifying him with a block of voters he needs to win," said one strategist.