David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive who won Wisconsin's Democratic gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, is pursuing a strategy to unite his party's fractured factions by framing the November election as an existential fight against MAGA extremism. The approach aims to bring together progressive voters who backed democratic socialist Francesca Hong with more moderate Democrats and independents ahead of a competitive general election in this battleground state.
Crowley told POLITICO he plans to use GOP Rep. Tom Tiffany, his likely Republican opponent, and President Donald Trump as the foils that will unite disparate Democratic voters. "We're not all going to agree on everything," Crowley said in an interview Thursday. "But I think we agree that the ultimate goal is making sure that we don't have a MAGA extremist and Congressman Tom Tiffany sitting in the governor's office."
Wisconsin Democrats spent Wednesday scrambling to mend fences between the party's far-left and centrist wings after a primary battle marked by questions about electability and ideological direction. The party faces similar challenges in Michigan, where progressives must also reunite ahead of November.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive supporters of Hong see value in Crowley's commitment to bring the party together but have raised concerns about his reluctance to fully embrace their agenda. Many of Crowley's allies view Hong as a political liability due to her democratic socialist platform and past controversial social media posts, worrying that her brand could undermine broader electoral appeal.
Hong has committed to campaigning for Crowley ahead of November, signaling her willingness to help unify the party. However, some progressive activists argue that the focus on MAGA extremism, while strategically useful, does not adequately address the economic concerns driving voters toward more left-wing policies. The cost-of-living messaging that Crowley's advisers are emphasizing represents an attempt to find common ground between progressive economic demands and centrist appeal.
Crowley has also declined to campaign with controversial leftist social media influencer Hasan Piker, telling POLITICO: "I don't know Hasan, but I always want to be focused on Wisconsin voters."
What the Right Is Saying
Republicans argue that casting the race as a fight against MAGA extremism misrepresents what Tiffany and the GOP represent. Conservative commentators have noted that Trump's approval ratings have slipped, which Democrats view as an opportunity, though Republicans contend that economic concerns about inflation and the cost of living transcend partisan framing.
Tiffany has not yet responded publicly to Crowley's characterizations. National Republican groups are expected to invest heavily in the Wisconsin governor's race, viewing it as a key battleground for checking Democratic power at the state level heading into 2028.
Some moderate Republicans who have expressed concerns about the current direction of their party may find themselves caught between competing loyalties as Crowley reaches out to voters who "feel rejected by this current Republican party," as he described in the interview. Crowley said he has already spoken with "some Republicans who are more interested in defeating Tom Tiffany."
What the Numbers Show
Trump won Wisconsin by just under 30,000 votes in the 2024 presidential election, making it one of the closest battleground states in the country. Democrats view holding the governor's mansion as critical for acting as a check on Trump's agenda.
Wisconsin last experienced a Democratic governing trifecta in state government in 2010 before losing control that year. The outcome of November's gubernatorial race will determine whether Democrats can reclaim unified control of state government for the first time in 16 years.
Crowley was hand-picked by current Gov. Tony Evers, who himself won election in 2018 by building a coalition that extended beyond Democratic strongholds to include independents and some Republican-leaning voters.
The Bottom Line
The general election strategy represents a delicate balancing act for Crowley: uniting progressive voters who backed Hong while avoiding associations that could alienate independents and crossover Republicans. His refusal to adopt Hong's moratorium on data center development, instead favoring "guardrails" through legislation, reflects an effort to differentiate his platform while maintaining party unity.
What happens in Wisconsin will be closely watched as a test case for how Democrats navigate internal divisions heading into future elections. Both sides of the party will be looking to see whether framing competitive races as referendums on MAGA extremism can successfully bring together voters with significantly different policy preferences. The November results will provide concrete data on whether this coalition-building approach succeeds or if ideological differences prove too deep to bridge.