Democratic socialist capitalizing on chaos in Wisconsin’s biggest election of 2026

MILWAUKEE (CN) — An Asian American woman aiming to become Wisconsin’s first democratic socialist governor is slated to win a chaotic primary and face off against a Trump-endorsed former dam tender as buzz for a blue trifecta grows in the battleground state.Governor Tony Evers’ retirement announcement last July opened the field for the first time in seven years.State Democrats have enjoyed a few big wins in recent elections, including flipping the ideological majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court after over a decade of conservative rule, just in time for landmark rulings on abortion and checks on the Republican-controlled Legislature.The momentum has the party pushing for a blue trifecta, or a Democratic governor paired with a majority in both chambers of the Legislature.But while Republican candidate Tom Tiffany travels the state, shaking hands with farmers and lobbing red menace quips at the democratic socialist in the race, Democrats are dealing with scandalous Twitter accounts, campaign finance fumbles and sexual harassment accusations.History for HongOn the Democratic ballot, state Representative Francesca Hong and former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes have been considered the front-runners to advance to the general election in November.That is, until Barnes dropped out of the race Thursday amid news the state party had reviewed accusations that he used his position in the party to seek out inappropriate relationships with young adult women.Though the review of those claims found nothing actionable due to their anonymity, the stain was insurmountable even after over 15,000 absentee ballots have been returned, according to data from the Wisconsin Elections Commission.In a statement, Barnes called defeating Tiffany a “life or death issue” and said he would continue doing what he can toward that goal.He did not say whether he would endorse another candidate, but with Hong’s lead over her competitors, it seems clear which way the race is moving. Barnes early voters cannot recast their votes.Hong has served in the state Assembly since 2020 and was the first Asian American member of the Legislature. She leads the pack in Marquette Law School polling with 38% of primary voters, most of whom skew younger and more liberal.Barnes was trailing Hong with 16%, while Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has 7% of primary voters on his side despite an endorsement from Evers. State Senator Kelda Roys and former Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan are both firmly in the rearview with 2% support from primary voters.Born and raised in Madison, Hong describes her platform as being built around an infrastructure of care. Her best-known policies include universal childcare, paid leave for all, affordable healthcare solutions and fully funded public schools.However, her lead evaporates when matched up against Tiffany, according to Marquette polling showing the matchup as a virtual tie.The democratic socialist’s most significant barrier at this point in the race is electability. State Democrats suggest her policies are too extreme, while Republicans run ads featuring the hammer and sickle.Marquette University professor Julia Azari is tired of hearing about the electability question, which is most often employed against women and people of color running for office.“I really can’t say enough bad things about the role of electability as the key factor people think about because we don’t have any idea what that means … it also then crowds out a substantive policy debate,” Azari said.Azari thinks candidates suggesting Hong can’t beat Tiffany should be interrogating the pros and cons of democratic socialism with facts and evidence instead.The word “electable” implies many things, according to Azari, but really the most electable candidate to any voter is the one who they plan to vote for.Milwaukee has seen socialist mayors in its long history, but Hong would be the first governor touting the political ideology. She would also be the first woman to hold that office.The closest thing to experience on the Aug. 11 ballot is Evers’ endorsement of Crowley, but even that is shadowed by his own flip-flopping.Crowley bowed out of the race to open the field for Lieutenant Governor Sarah Rodriguez, only to jump right back in after she bowed out in response to her campaign manager making severe financial errors and double-counting contributions leaving the campaign $150,000 in debt.Evers endorsed him shortly after, stating Wisconsinites deserve insight from someone who has done the job. But last month, Crowley was linked to a 2010 Twitter account that made inflammatory and disparaging comments about women and LGBTQ+ people. He admitted to being one of several people tweeting from the account, but says he did not make the more offensive posts and condemned the language used.Tiffany & Co.Like many of the candidates vying for governor, Tiffany is a lifelong Wisconsinite. He boasts his dairy farm upbringing, his public school attendance and his former job as a dam tender.Tiffany has represented Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District since 2020 and is a member of the House Freedom Caucus, which advocates for a highly conservative policy agenda. He previously served in the Legislature, where he sat on the Joint Finance Committee and chaired the Senate committee on sporting, heritage, mining and forestry.President Donald Trump endorsed Tiffany in January on his social media platform, Truth Social. He promised his followers in a post that Tiffany would grow the economy, cut taxes and regulations, promote American made products, keep the border secure and protect the Second Amendment.“I endorsed Tom for Congress early and strong, and he won, big,” Trump said. “Likewise, he has always been at my side … Tom Tiffany has my complete and total endorsement to be the next governor of Wisconsin — he will never let you down!”Though Tiffany doesn’t flaunt Trump’s support as openly as candidates past have done, he shares several key policies with the administration including a promise to protect “common sense” by kicking childless, able-bodied adults off “welfare,” calling mothers “moms” instead of “inseminated persons” and keeping boys out of girls’ locker rooms and sports.Trump’s approval rating is on the decline, but Dr. Lilly Goren says his endorsement still holds water because of his cult-like support within the party.Though there is no presidential election this year, the governor’s race is still expected to be a barometer of Trump’s performance in Wisconsin. The state party plays a big role in national politics, and the president needs support here for a Republican to perform well in 2028, according to Goren, a political science professor at Carroll University.In terms of fundraising, Tiffany has an edge over Hong.Tiffany reported over $10 million in contributions to the Wisconsin Ethics Commission compared to Hong’s $1.3 million. Without a competitive primary, the Republican Party of Wisconsin has already contributed over $6 million to Tiffany.The Democratic Party of Wisconsin must wait to play, but their support of the winning primary candidate is likely to even the scales. Neither Tiffany nor Hong has run a successful statewide campaign, making the pair more evenly matched than the numbers might show.“What you have in all the candidates for the most part are people who have not necessarily successfully run a statewide race on the ballot so that is something to consider — are they really electable by the entire state? We don’t know,” Goren said.State Democrats declined to answer questions about their strategy after a nominee is chosen, but they reported a $50 million edge over the state Republican party in contributions.Early voting runs in Wisconsin until Aug. 9.Evers, 73, spent much of his governorship grappling with the Republican-controlled Legislature to reign in certain bills and implement his own policies with moderate success. A blue trifecta could usher in a new era of Wisconsin politics typically polluted by partisan showboating.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads