Tuesday’s primaries will give Democrats a big idea on how much the far left has taken hold of the party

Primaries in Wisconsin and Minnesota Test Progressive and Centrist Democratic Candidates

Michigan’s primary has concluded, but voters in Wisconsin and Minnesota will decide two additional Democratic contests on Tuesday that feature competing approaches within the party. In Wisconsin, state Assembly member Francesca Hong leads polling in the Democratic primary for governor. In Minnesota, a Senate primary between Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Rep. Angie Craig remains close according to recent surveys, following the primary victory of progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan the previous week.

Craig, like Michigan’s Haley Stevens, has received support from House Democratic leadership including Hakeem Jeffries, Nancy Pelosi and Elissa Slotkin. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has not made a public endorsement in the Minnesota race, and some Democratic senators have encouraged the party’s campaign committee to remain neutral. Flanagan has been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and retiring Sen. Tina Smith. A SurveyUSA poll showed Flanagan trailing Craig by a narrow margin, with nearly one-fifth of voters undecided. Hong has drawn backing from the Democratic Socialists of America but lacks comparable national endorsements to those received by Flanagan.

Hong serves her third term in the Wisconsin state Assembly and previously worked as a chef. Her campaign has emphasized her legislative record and background. In the Wisconsin race, her opponents remained divided for an extended period. Mandela Barnes withdrew, after which Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley entered the contest.

A Hong victory would mark another primary success for candidates aligned with progressive positions this cycle. El-Sayed’s Michigan win occurred despite substantial outside spending by political action committees. Hong’s early polling lead stems from her campaign organization and the fragmentation of competing candidates.

In Minnesota, Craig has positioned herself as a moderate within the party. She voted for the Laken Riley Act and has collaborated with Republicans on select legislation. She has also received past support from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. The Minnesota contest has not seen the same level of outside spending by pro-Israel groups as occurred in Michigan. Flanagan has stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement requires fundamental restructuring, telling the New York Times that the agency “can’t exist like this anymore” and that “we have to rip ICE apart and start over.”

The 2024 presidential election resulted in Kamala Harris’s defeat after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race. Some Democratic voters expressed dissatisfaction with the process by which the nominee was selected. Subsequent legislative debates in 2025 included calls from some members to withhold support on certain measures amid the Trump administration’s operations and the activities of the Department of Government Efficiency.

Should Craig prevail, the outcome would indicate continued support among some Democratic primary voters for candidates with moderate voting records. Should both Hong and Flanagan win, the results would add to recent primary successes by progressive candidates in the Midwest, including El-Sayed and Will Lawrence in Michigan. Lawrence’s primary victory occurred despite attention from outside groups to his prior comments on Black political leaders.

Hong’s campaign has drawn on her legislative experience in the Assembly rather than presenting solely as an insurgent effort. Flanagan holds the state party endorsement in Minnesota in addition to support from Sanders and Warren. The two races will provide updated data on voter preferences between progressive and centrist candidates ahead of the general election cycle.