Early in-person voting opened Tuesday in Wisconsin, kicking off a chaotic Democratic primary race for governor that could shape the state’s political setting this fall. Democrats are hoping to seize full control of Wisconsin state government, which has been split since 2010. They aim to retain the governor’s office and flip both legislative chambers. However, the party has struggled to unite behind a single candidate, raising concerns that internal divisions could cost them the general election. [1]drone attacks have also shaken the region, adding to the chaotic atmosphere surrounding the election.
The field includes five contenders meeting for their only debate Tuesday night before the Aug. 11 primary. Insurgent democratic socialist Francesca Hong has built strong support within the party’s most liberal wing. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who narrowly lost a U.S. Senate race in 2022, is banking on his hometown of Milwaukee to overcome Hong, whose base is in Madison. Those two cities hold the largest concentration of Democratic voters in the state.
Also in the race is Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who received the endorsement of incumbent Gov. Tony Evers. Crowley had dropped out of the race on July 8 but returned on July 17, the day after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez stepped down amid a campaign finance scandal. Both Crowley and Barnes are seeking to become the state’s first Black governor.
The winner of the Democratic primary will advance to face Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November. Tiffany is running with the backing of former President Donald Trump in a state Trump won in both 2016 and 2024. Tiffany faces only nominal opposition in the primary.
Hours after polls opened for early voting, a judge was scheduled to hear arguments in a Democratic lawsuit seeking to allow voters to cancel already-filed ballots and cast new ones. As of Monday, more than 100,000 ballots had been returned by mail.
The lawsuit was filed last week with support from the Wisconsin Democratic Party. They are seeking an order to immediately allow for already-cast ballots to be canceled, a rarely used practice known as ballot spoiling. Democrats argue this is necessary because Rodriguez and former state economic director Missy Hughes ended their campaigns, and Crowley re-entered the race, after tens of thousands of ballots had already been sent out. The names of Hughes and Rodriguez remain on the ballot.
In-person absentee voting runs through Aug. 9. All absentee ballots must be received by the time polls close on election day Aug. 11 to be counted.