Francesca Hong leads the Wisconsin Democratic primary for governor with 27% support in a new poll released July 22, 2026. This development occurs amid sudden campaign chaos, as Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley reenters the race with outgoing Gov. Tony Evers’ endorsement following Sara Rodriguez’s departure.
Francesca Hong Leads Democratic Primary Field Amid Persistent Undecideds
A democratic socialist running in a swing state President Donald Trump won in two previous elections holds the top spot in the Democratic primary for governor, according to a survey released July 22 by the Marquette University Law School. Francesca Hong, 37, a three-term state legislator from Wisconsin’s 76th Assembly District, secured 26% of primary voters’ support in the poll. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes followed with 15%.
When pollsters allocated the second choices of voters who initially backed Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez—who subsequently dropped out of the contest—Hong’s support edged up to 27% while Barnes moved to 18%. Joel Brennan, an official in Gov. Tony Evers’ cabinet, registered 5%, and state Sen. Kelda Roys drew 2%.
Despite leading four Marquette University Law School polls of Democratic primary voters, Hong faces a substantial pool of uncommitted voters. Marquette poll director Charles Franklin noted that 45% of Democratic primary voters had not yet selected a candidate when the survey was in the field from July 8 to July 16.
Charles Franklin, Marquette University Law School poll director, stated that when they first polled back in October, [Hong] was in first place with what he believed was 6%, then in February she was in first place with 11%, in March it was 14%, and now it is at 26%, noting that while she has been the leading candidate across all of those polls, the enormous percentages of undecided voters mean her share is not massive.
David Crowley Rereenters the Race Following Sara Rodriguez Campaign Implosion
The gubernatorial contest was upended just days after the poll concluded when the Democratic primary field experienced a dramatic shakeup. Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez abandoned her campaign after discovering that her campaign had hundreds of thousands of dollars less on hand than expected, a financial scandal that forced her to fire her campaign manager and exit the race.
That departure cleared the path for Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley to reverse his own decision. Just two weeks after suspending his campaign to endorse Rodriguez, Crowley reentered the primary with a last-minute endorsement from outgoing Gov. Tony Evers, who had initially declined to pick sides in the nomination fight.
Evers, who passed on running for a third term, posted on social media that he was “all in” for Crowley, praising his executive leadership on budget balancing and job creation.
David Crowley, Milwaukee County Executive and Democratic gubernatorial candidate, stated that winning that election would require building the broadest possible coalition.
In a Saturday afternoon interview, Crowley told the Associated Press that voters would experience a much more aggressive campaign
from his camp in the closing weeks before the August 11 primary.
National Progressivism Meets Swing-State Pragmatism in Wisconsin
Hong’s front-runner status brings national debates over democratic socialism directly into a purple battleground.
Yet those progressive primary victories have largely stayed confined to safely blue urban centers. Party skeptics continue to question how Democratic Socialists of America candidates will perform among independent and moderate voters in swing states. A closer look at the Wisconsin electorate reveals sharp divisions: the Marquette survey found that 49% of registered voters expressed an unfavorable opinion of democratic socialism, while only 25% held a favorable view and 26% reported no opinion.
Hong dismissed electability concerns during a July 17 interview with journalist David Sirota, arguing that party skeptics are miscalculating the landscape.
Francesca Hong, Wisconsin 76th Assembly District Representative and gubernatorial candidate, stated that their supporters are people who have not engaged in politics before, adding that they have fought the disillusionment and apathy that the Democrats keep losing to and failing to overcome in order to grow a broader coalition.
General Election Matchups and the Republican Opponent
Rep. Thomas P. Tiffany leads Hong 43%-40% among registered voters and ties with her at 44% among likely voters.
Tiffany faces only token primary opposition and enters the general election contest backed by President Donald Trump and other GOP leaders. Republicans wasted no time targeting the Democratic disarray.
The Final Weeks Before the August 11 Primary
With the primary election scheduled for August 11, 2026, the Democratic field features Hong, Crowley, Barnes, Roys, and Brennan vying to take on Tiffany in what experts categorize as a critical midterm toss-up. Marquette poll director Charles Franklin summarized the state of the race as the campaign enters its final stretch.
What this does show you is, as we like to do in Wisconsin, fairly tight race. A little bit of variation from candidate to candidate, but not a huge amount. Charles Franklin, Marquette University Law School poll director
