Primaries are underway in Wisconsin, with the gubernatorial election taking center stage
Wisconsin is holding primaries on Tuesday that will shape the November races for governor, all eight of the state’s seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, the state legislature, and half of the state Senate. The Democratic race for the gubernatorial nomination is drawing the most attention, according to Al Jazeera English.
The leading contenders for the Democratic Party nomination are State Assemblywoman Francesca Hong and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. Hong identifies as a democratic socialist and is campaigning for free child care, the cancellation of student debt, and the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. If elected, she would become the first woman and the first American of Asian descent to serve as governor of Wisconsin.
Crowley initially dropped out of the race but re-entered it 10 days later, in mid-July, after receiving the endorsement of incumbent Governor Tony Evers. Crowley’s supporters consider him the strongest candidate to keep the governorship in Democratic hands. He himself denies being part of the party establishment and has stated that he intends to focus on undecided voters. A poll by Marquette University Law School, conducted in late July among Democratic primary voters, showed a significant lead for Hong.
For more breaking news, follow the UA.News Telegram channel.
The race has been complicated by a series of withdrawals. Lieutenant Governor Sarah Rodriguez ended her campaign following a dispute over funding, and former head of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Missy Hughes, also dropped out of the race. Former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes withdrew less than two weeks before Election Day after allegations of misconduct resurfaced during the campaign. Barnes denied any wrongdoing. According to the Associated Press, an investigation commissioned by the Wisconsin Democratic Party found no evidence that would warrant action, as the allegations were anonymous and lacked specific details.
Since the candidates withdrew after the filing deadline had passed, their names remained on the ballots. Nearly 128,000 mail-in ballots have already been returned, meaning some voters may have cast ballots for candidates who were no longer actively campaigning. A court dismissed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate those ballots and allow voters to cast new ballots. The winner of the Democratic primary is likely to face Republican Tom Tiffany, an ally of President Donald Trump, in November.
