Four Tenths of a Point: Crowley Edges Hong in Wisconsin's Democratic Primary
The Associated Press called Wisconsin's Democratic primary for governor at 2:34 in the morning, after the loser conceded, with 98% of ballots counted and a little over 3,200 votes between the two of them.
The Associated Press called Wisconsin's Democratic primary for governor at 2:34 in the morning, after the loser conceded, with 98% of ballots counted and a little over 3,200 votes between the two of them.
David Crowley finished at 39.8%. Francesca Hong finished at 39.4%.
Behind them the field fell away quickly. State Sen. Kelda Roys took 7.5% and former Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan took 4.7%, which means nearly four out of five Democratic primary voters picked one of the top two, and they split those voters almost exactly down the middle.
The two of them were running different campaigns. Hong is a state assemblywoman and a democratic socialist, and her showing is the part of this result that will get argued about for a while, because coming within four tenths of a point is not a protest vote. Crowley ran with Gov. Tony Evers's backing and consolidated the party establishment behind him. On any normal night that combination does not produce a photo finish.
Crowley is 40. If he wins in November he would be Wisconsin's first Black governor.
He will face Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany, who has aligned himself closely with the Trump administration. That general election starts with a Democratic nominee who just demonstrated he does not have unanimous enthusiasm inside his own party, and roughly three months to fix it. The number Crowley's campaign has to think about is not the 39.8% he won with. It is the 39.4% that nearly beat him, and whether those voters show up for him in November.