Moderate Democrats Scramble to Block a Socialist From Winning in Wisconsin

Making sense of what matters most in Washington. Tuesday’s contest to become Wisconsin’s Democratic nominee for Governor has unexpectedly become one of the most chaotic stories of the 2026 cycle. First, the popular incumbent Governor said he wouldn’t seek a third term. His Lieutenant Governor jumped in the race. So did his former Lieutenant Governor. Both have since dropped out, one felled by financial mismanagement in her campaign and one allegedly dispatched by a MeToo-styled scandal. The chaotic scramble is now down to two unlikely candidates: Francesca Hong and David Crowley. She is a democratic socialist who has rocketed in the polls despite concerns about her viability in November (and her position on, of all things, Thanksgiving). He is a steady-as-she-goes county bureaucrat who suspended his campaign and booked a vacation to Jamaica—before canceling the trip and re-joining the race 10 days later, this time with the backing of the outgoing Governor.“The one thing that I've learned is to buy travel insurance,” Crowley tells me between campaign stops. The no-nonsense, disciplined executive of Wisconsin’s largest county is now the fledgling hope of national Democrats, who fear ...