Key Highlights

  • Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley upset democratic socialist Francesca Hong in the Wisconsin governor's Democratic primary by roughly 3,000 votes
  • Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan won the state's Democratic Senate primary, defeating a more moderate rival by campaigning against the administration's immigration enforcement approach
  • A Trump-endorsed candidate lost in Minnesota, while a separate Trump-endorsed candidate advanced to a runoff in South Carolina's Senate race
  • Voters cast ballots in Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Carolina, Connecticut, and Vermont in one of the last major primary nights before November's midterms

Progressive Momentum Stalls in Wisconsin's Governor Race

Left-wing candidates have been on a winning streak in recent Democratic primaries across several states, but that streak stopped in Wisconsin, where Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley upset democratic socialist Francesca Hong in the state's gubernatorial primary by a little more than 3,000 votes. As in a similar upset last week, polling failed to fully capture moderate Democratic turnout, suggesting progressive enthusiasm has not translated into a consistent advantage in every contest.

Hong's defeat followed weeks of scrutiny over a since-deleted 2020 Social Media post in which she called for canceling the Thanksgiving holiday, a comment Republicans seized on as a political gift. Hong sought to distance herself from the remark in the campaign's final stretch, telling media outlets it was in fact her favorite holiday. Notably, prominent national figures associated with the democratic socialist movement did not endorse Hong, having already thrown their support behind a different progressive candidate in a separate state's primary the previous week.

Progressive Candidate Wins Minnesota Senate Primary

Minnesota's lieutenant governor won the state's Democratic US Senate primary, channeling voter anger over the administration's immigration enforcement actions in the state, which deployed armed immigration agents last winter and led to the deaths of two US citizens. The winning candidate had called for dismantling the federal immigration enforcement agency, helping her defeat a more moderate sitting member of Congress who had expressed regret over a prior vote to expand the agency's detention authority.

A Trump-endorsed candidate and former Business executive lost the Minnesota Republican primary despite the president's public support, illustrating that a Trump endorsement does not guarantee victory in every race. In South Carolina, however, a different Trump-endorsed candidate advanced to a runoff in the Republican primary for a US Senate seat following the death of a longtime senator and close Trump ally.

Primary Results Offer Early Signals Ahead of November

Voters cast ballots Tuesday in Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Carolina, Connecticut, and Vermont in one of the last major primary nights before November's midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. The results suggest a more complicated picture for both parties than a simple progressive-versus-moderate narrative, with primary outcomes varying significantly by state and candidate rather than following a single consistent national trend.