Wisconsin Governor Race: Hong vs Crowley Too Close to Call

Late Tuesday night, the Wisconsin governor race had no clear winner among Democrats. Francesca Hong and David Crowley finished the night close together. Just a few thousand votes separated them. Meanwhile, counting remained ongoing.

Still Counting

With 86 percent of precincts reporting around 11 p.m., Crowley held a small lead. He led by roughly 3,000 votes — 40.0 percent to Hong’s 39.6 percent. However, a technical error had delayed a significant batch of ballots from Milwaukee County.

Milwaukee Election Commission Director Paulina Gutierrez explained the problem to reporters. Workers had accidentally uploaded audit logs onto flash drives instead of the actual ballot results. This mistake delayed at least 28,000 absentee ballots by an hour or more. Notably, Milwaukee is Crowley’s political home base. Therefore, those ballots could shift the outcome either way. Ultimately, no winner emerged as of midnight.

How the Race Got Here

The Democratic field started out chaotic. Outgoing Governor Tony Evers chose not to seek a third term. Instead, he endorsed Crowley early in the race. Both his current and former lieutenant governors entered the contest too. Eventually, both candidates dropped out. Financial mismanagement allegations ended one campaign. A MeToo-adjacent scandal ended the other. Consequently, Hong and Crowley became the final two serious contenders heading into Tuesday.

Hong made history as the first Asian American elected to the Wisconsin Legislature. She has represented a Madison district since 2021. She built her campaign around a democratic socialist platform. Specifically, she called for universal public health coverage and expanded worker protections. She also pushed for a break from the centrism of the Evers era. Crowley, meanwhile, became Milwaukee County’s youngest-ever Black executive. He emphasized electability instead. He positioned himself as the practical choice against a well-funded Republican.

The Poll Surprise

Pre-election surveys had consistently shown Hong ahead by double digits. Some polls even put her lead at 15 points or more. However, Tuesday’s results shattered that picture entirely. Crowley outperformed expectations in many areas that had polled strongly for Hong. As a result, the race tightened steadily throughout the evening. Voters cast more than 550,000 total votes. Yet the gap between the two candidates stayed smaller than the outstanding Milwaukee ballots.

Hong Speaks to Supporters

Around 11:30 p.m., Hong addressed her election night crowd in Madison. She neither conceded nor claimed victory. Instead, she told supporters she felt confident. She thanked them for building what she called a movement. This movement brought together working people across generations and backgrounds. Additionally, she promised that regardless of who wins, the room would keep fighting together.

The Republican Side

The Republican side saw no suspense at all. Congressman Tom Tiffany entered the race with President Trump’s endorsement. He won his party’s nomination easily. Therefore, he will face whoever emerges from the Democratic primary in November.

What Comes Next

The final result may not arrive until Wednesday morning or later. Much depends on how quickly Milwaukee County finishes uploading its outstanding ballots. Notably, Wisconsin does not offer automatic recounts for primaries. However, either candidate could request one if the margin falls below one percentage point.

Source: CNN, CBS News, Fox 9, Washington Post, NBC News, Time