Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan easily defeated Rep. Angie Craig in the Minnesota Democratic Senate primary, delivering another win for the insurgent, left wing of the Democratic Party.
But next door in Wisconsin, the establishment candidate won the marquee Democratic primary for governor and blunted the far-left insurgency in the party.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley narrowly defeated State Rep. Francesca Hong, a self-described democratic socialist, for the party’s nomination for governor in Wisconsin. He will face Rep. Tom Tiffany, who won the Republican nomination with President Trump’s support.
Ms. Flanagan’s victory marks the second win for the party’s left flank in a week, following Abdul El-Sayed’s narrow victory over Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s Senate primary.
“For months now, I’ve been telling you this campaign has been about the many versus the money,” Ms. Flanagan said at her election night party. “Well, guess what? The many just won.”
She added: “You said Minnesota is not for sale, not now, and not ever!”
SEE ALSO: Trump-endorsed Graham advances, will face Norman for brother’s Senate seat
With 86% of the vote counted, Ms. Flanagan had a 19-point advantage over Ms. Craig — a gap that grew throughout the night after close early returns.
Ms. Flanagan had the support of retiring Sen. Tina Smith, as well as such left-wing icons as Sens. Bernard Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.
She is set to face off against former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya after she easily won the GOP nomination contest.
But the outcome in Wisconsin complicates any narrative of a liberal wave, underscoring how divided Democrats remain over the party’s direction heading into November.
Mr. Crowley, who is vying to become Wisconsin’s first Black governor, did not address supporters Tuesday night but was expected at a unity event later Wednesday.
“Now, David is focused on bringing people together, earning the support of Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and anyone who believes Wisconsin is at its best when we work together and deliver results,” Mr. Crowley’s campaign manager, Garren Randolph, said in a statement.
Before the race was called, Ms. Hong pledged that her movement’s “fight continues no matter what. Because no matter who wins this primary, we’re going to continue to fight for each other. We are going to collectively reject despair, and we are going to unite.”
The closeness of the election in Wisconsin, a perennial battleground state, underscored how evenly matched — and unpredictable — the Democratic Party’s factions have become in this cycle.
The tightness already sharpened doubts about the reliability of political polling, especially after Mr. El‑Sayed’s closer‑than‑expected win in Michigan last week.
The Minnesota gubernatorial primary was far more clear-cut.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar easily secured the Democratic nomination for governor.
Lisa DeMuth, speaker of the Minnesota House, won the Republican gubernatorial nod in a race that also featured Mike Lindell, the MyPillow founder and election conspiracy supporter who had Mr. Trump’s support.
Ms. Klobuchar and Ms. DeMuth are running to replace Gov. Tim Walz.
The Democrat opted against seeking reelection amid a massive welfare fraud scandal and following an uneven performance as the party’s most recent vice-presidential nominee.
In the Democratic Senate race, Ms. Flanagan built her campaign around a sharp contrast with Ms. Craig regarding Mr. Trump and the party establishment.
The issue of immigration loomed large over the race after the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts sparked violent protests and led to the deaths of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the feds’ hands.
Ms. Flanagan ran to Ms. Craig’s left on immigration by vowing to dismantle Immigration and Customs Enforcement, while pushing a Medicare for All plan and calling for a halt to offensive weapons sales to Israel.
It echoed the same themes Mr. El-Sayed rode to victory in Michigan, when he campaigned on that same basic portfolio of issues.
Ms. Craig, for her part, leaned on her record of winning tough races in a competitive House district.
She had the backing of national party leaders including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, along with Minnesota first lady Gwen Walz and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
The result also lands as a fresh data point in Sen. Charles E. Schumer’s fight to keep his grip on Senate Democratic leadership.
Ms. Flanagan ran as a change agent and said Mr. Schumer must step down from his leadership post.
In Wisconsin, Ms. Hong had led in polling for much of the race on the strength of an energetic grassroots operation and a signature policy proposal — a moratorium on new AI data center construction — that played into a broader populist, economic message.
Mr. Crowley countered that a statewide moratorium would strip communities of the choice to make their own decision.
His own path to the primary was anything but smooth: he suspended his campaign July 8 and endorsed Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez.
But he relaunched his bid about 10 days later, on July 18, this time with Gov. Tony Evers’ endorsement, after Ms. Rodriguez abruptly exited the race amid a campaign finance scandal in which her campaign manager was accused of misreporting hundreds of thousands of dollars in her filings.
Mr. Trump had also branded Ms. Hong a “communist” this month over social media posts that, among much else, called for Thanksgiving to be canceled as a disease super-spreader event that celebrated colonialism.
She also advocated for getting rid of the U.S. Senate and defunding the police. She backtracked last week, saying Thanksgiving was her favorite holiday.
Washington Democrats also got a bit of good news from Wisconsin after Rebecca Cooke won the party’s nomination in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District.
Her victory puts their preferred candidate on a collision course with incumbent Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden in what handicappers rate as a “toss-up” race.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.