Francesca Hong, Donovan Richards vie for Wisconsin governor

Wisconsin Democrats are locked in an intense primary fight over who can win the governor’s race in November—and the battle has turned into a proxy war over the party’s direction.

Incumbent Governor Tony Evers is stepping down after two terms, leaving an open seat that Republicans see as one of their best pickup opportunities in a battleground state that delivered Donald Trump the presidency in 2016 and 2020. The Democratic primary has narrowed to a sharp clash between state Rep. Francesca Hong and former Milwaukee Alderman Donovan Richards, with both claiming they can unite the party and defeat the GOP. Hong, a progressive backed by national groups like Justice Democrats and Our Revolution, argues her working-class background and endorsements from labor unions and minority leaders make her the candidate with broader appeal. Richards, a more moderate Democrat who served on the Milwaukee County Board and as an alderman, counters that Hong’s democratic socialist label will alienate independents in a state where swing voters decide elections.

The primary is a rematch of sorts from the 2022 attorney general race, where Richards lost to Josh Kaul by just two points. This time, Richards is positioning himself as the pragmatic choice in a state where suburban voters are increasingly decisive. Hong, who won her seat in 2020 by flipping a Republican-held district, has leaned into her identity as a daughter of Korean immigrants and a restaurant worker turned legislator, framing herself as a champion of kitchen-table issues. Recent polling shows the race tightening, with Richards holding a slight edge among Black voters and Hong leading among white progressives. The Democratic Governors Association has stayed neutral, signaling internal divisions over what kind of candidate can hold the governorship in a state trending rightward.

The winner will face a crowded Republican field that includes Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, former Rep. Tim Michels, and businessman Kevin Nicholson. Republicans are already framing the race as a choice between socialism and opportunity, while Democrats are debating whether a more moderate candidate can avoid the losses that have plagued the party in Wisconsin’s down-ballot races. The stakes are high: whoever wins in November will shape the state’s direction on issues like abortion rights, school funding, and the 2024 presidential election, which could hinge on Wisconsin’s 10 electoral votes. Early voting begins in October, and the primary is set for August 13—just days after Trump’s sentencing in New York, which could further energize or divide voters. The outcome will test whether Wisconsin Democrats can replicate the suburban coalition that helped Biden win in 2020 or if they’ll need a different strategy to keep the governorship.