Progressive vs. Moderate Battles Shape Wisconsin and Minnesota Democratic Primaries

On Tuesday, Democratic voters in Wisconsin and Minnesota will choose their party’s nominees for governor and U.S. Senate, respectively. In both states, progressive candidates—Francesca Hong for Wisconsin governor and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan for the Minnesota Senate seat—face moderate challengers, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and U.S. Rep. Angie Craig. The contests are being framed as a test of whether the Democratic Party will move further left after recent primary upsets nationwide.

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Progressive momentum has accelerated after victories such as Abdul El-Sayed’s upset over Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan. Party insiders view the Wisconsin and Minnesota primaries as the next litmus test for the “progressive swell” that is challenging establishment-backed candidates across the country.

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• Recent polls show Francesca Hong leading the Wisconsin gubernatorial field by double-digit margins.

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• Hong’s platform includes universal childcare, publicly-owned grocery stores, a public-option health plan, a public bank, and higher taxes on the wealthy.

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• Crowley, endorsed by retiring Gov. Tony Evers, positions himself as a centrist alternative.

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• In Minnesota, Flanagan has secured endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and the state Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

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• Craig, a former House Agriculture Committee member, is backed by Hakeem Jeffries, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Gov. Abigail Spanberger, and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

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• Both primaries are occurring on the same Tuesday, with the outcomes expected to determine the Democratic ticket against Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany in Wisconsin and shape the Senate race in a purple-leaning Minnesota.

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• Hong has distanced herself from earlier remarks calling for the cancellation of Thanksgiving and the abolition of police, emphasizing a focus on policy proposals such as universal childcare and a public bank.

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• Flanagan defended her administration’s response to a social-services fraud scandal, expressing regret that the state did not act faster while maintaining that the subsequent crackdown was appropriate.

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• Craig warned that Flanagan’s ties to the fraud scandal could give Republicans “a field day,” framing the issue as a potential vulnerability in the general election.

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• Flanagan’s characterization of Israel’s actions as “genocide” and her platform to dismantle Immigration and Customs Enforcement have drawn criticism from centrist Democrats and Republican opponents, who argue the positions could alienate moderate voters in the general election.

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• Hong’s past statements on Thanksgiving and policing have attracted scrutiny from party moderates who question her electability in a state that leans purple.

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• “Republicans are going to have a field day with you” — Minnesota. Craig

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• The winners of the Wisconsin and Minnesota primaries will face Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany and other GOP contenders in the November general elections.

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• Both parties are expected to adjust campaign strategies based on the primary outcomes, with moderates emphasizing electability and progressives highlighting policy ambition.

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