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Why It Matters
Tuesday’s Democratic primaries in Wisconsin and Minnesota offer a clear window into a party struggling to define itself heading into the next electoral cycle. The contests pit progressive activists against more establishment-aligned candidates, and the outcomes could shape which direction the party leans in competitive battleground states — including Wisconsin, which Donald Trump carried in 2024.
What Happened
Voters in Wisconsin are choosing a Democratic nominee for governor, with state Representative Francesca Hong emerging as the front-runner. Hong, a self-described democratic socialist, has faced scrutiny over her 2020 support for defunding police, a position she has since disavowed. Her main challenger is David Crowley, the Milwaukee County Executive, who earned the endorsement of current Democratic Governor Tony Evers.
Evers himself became a figure in recent political history after blocking part of Donald Trump’s effort to claim Wisconsin’s electoral votes following the 2020 election. The Democratic nominee will face Republican Representative Tom Tiffany in November. Tiffany, who is backed by Trump and supported efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, starts the general election with an advantage in a state Trump won in 2024.
Former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, once considered a contender, withdrew from the Wisconsin governor’s race late last month, reshuffling the field and consolidating attention on Hong and Crowley.
In Minnesota, the open U.S. Senate seat is drawing two prominent Democrats into a primary fight. Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan and U.S. Representative Angie Craig are both vying for the nomination. The seat’s openness gives both candidates a genuine shot, and the outcome could signal how much appetite Minnesota Democrats have for a more progressive direction versus a center-left one.
Connecticut Also in Play
A third Democratic primary Tuesday is drawing attention in Connecticut, where Governor Ned Lamont faces a challenge from the left. State Representative Josh Elliott, 41, is mounting the insurgent bid against Lamont, 72, a veteran politician who first gained national notice when he defeated then-Senator Joe Lieberman — the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee — in a 2006 primary. Lamont went on to win the Connecticut governorship in 2018.
Elliott’s challenge mirrors the pattern seen elsewhere Tuesday: a younger, further-left candidate pressing an older, more moderate Democratic incumbent or establishment figure to move in a more progressive direction.
By the Numbers
- 3 states holding Democratic primaries of national significance on Tuesday: Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Connecticut
- 2024: The year Trump carried Wisconsin, setting the stakes for the November general election
- 2020: The year Hong publicly backed defunding the police, a stance she has since walked back
- 72 vs. 41: The age gap between Lamont and challenger Elliott in Connecticut’s Democratic governor primary
- 2006: The year Lamont defeated Joe Lieberman in a Democratic primary — a historical parallel to the insurgent dynamics playing out again Tuesday
Zoom Out
Tuesday’s primaries add to a broader pattern of Democratic internal tension that has been building since the 2024 election cycle. Last week, progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed secured the Democratic Senate nomination in Michigan, suggesting the party’s activist base is flexing muscle in key states. Similar dynamics recently produced a surprise Republican primary outcome in Tennessee, where a Trump-backed incumbent lost a redrawn seat — a reminder that primary volatility is not limited to one party.
For Wisconsin specifically, the Republican-controlled redistricting landscape creates a structural disadvantage for Democrats going into the November general election. Redistricting battles have also roiled Missouri, where the state’s Republican election chief blocked a referendum challenge to redrawn congressional maps. Taken together, these contests reflect how both parties are navigating an increasingly fractured political environment heading toward 2028.
What’s Next
Results from Tuesday’s primaries will clarify the general election matchups in Wisconsin and Minnesota. In Wisconsin, the Democratic nominee will face Tiffany, a Trump ally, in a race that could test whether any Democrat can compete statewide in a state Republicans now consider firmly in their column. South Carolina is also holding a primary Tuesday for the seat once held by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, adding another layer to a busy election day.
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