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As Wisconsin Democrats rallied in Madison over the weekend, there was a divide among party die-hards on the best type of candidate to be the party’s gubernatorial nominee. 

Many, including Doris Schoneman, a retired nursing professor from Waukesha County at her 10th Democratic Party of Wisconsin convention with her husband David, prefer Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez. Schoneman said Rodriguez, who won the most votes in a WisPolitics straw poll, could appeal to both rural and urban communities.

But an almost equally large contingent, including Vernon County delegate Alexander McDonough, is backing Madison state Rep. Francesca Hong, who came in second in the straw poll. McDonough, who was attending his first convention, said he was inspired by the Democratic socialist.

It’s an all-too-familiar question Democrats will be debating until the Aug. 11 primary with seven candidates on the ballot: Should they choose a candidate who appeals to the average Wisconsin voter in the general election or a candidate who excites the party’s base? 

Wisconsin Democrats have an opportunity to control state government for the first time in 16 years should they win the governor’s office and gain majorities in the Senate and the Assembly. After Republicans won the governor’s office and both chambers of the Legislature in 2010, they drew gerrymandered legislative maps, passed a strict voter ID law and enacted Act 10, which dismantled Democratic-supporting public sector unions. 

“The people in this room led us out of the wilderness,” Democratic Party of Wisconsin chair Devin Remiker told the crowd on Saturday. “The people in this room took back the Supreme Court and made it the people’s court again. The people in this room shattered the gerrymander. The people in this room kept pushing our lines forward year after year, and now we stand at the gates of a castle with walls so high Republicans thought that we would never climb over them, and we are about to.” 

The WisPolitics straw poll found 27.5% of convention-goers backed Rodriguez as the Democratic nominee for governor with Hong a close second at 23.1%.

Some attendees told Wisconsin Watch they were still undecided on who they would vote for in the coming weeks. 

“I’m looking for someone who’s ready to fight and do the work,” said William Garcia, the 3rd Congressional District chair. “I think that we’re gonna win all three. I think we’re gonna win the Assembly, the Senate and the governorship. And that means, in my mind, that I need someone who’s prepared to spend the six months after they’re sworn in doing every policy that we’ve been talking about for 12 years.”

Wisconsin Democrats have not seen a gubernatorial primary of this size since the 2018 race when 10 candidates, including eventual winner Gov. Tony Evers, ran for the chance to go up against then-incumbent Republican Gov. Scott Walker. Democrats won every statewide office on the ballot that year, disrupting nearly a decade of Republican control of the Capitol in Madison. But because Republicans gerrymandered legislative maps in 2011 to insulate themselves from a Democratic wave, Democrats have not held either the Assembly or Senate and were unable to enact any sweeping legislative agenda for all eight years Evers was in office.

The candidate who wins the nomination on Aug. 11 is expected to face U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump and received the Republican Party of Wisconsin’s endorsement last month. Tiffany has one primary opponent — Andy Manske, a 27-year-old medical service technician. 

Evers on Saturday told the crowd that Democrats need to show up, as a Tiffany victory could put Wisconsin in an “even worse position” than when he took office in 2019. 

“I want everyone to think about all our hard work and all of the progress we’ve made,” Evers told the crowd Saturday evening. “That’s what’s at stake this fall.” 

Gubernatorial candidates make their case

The seven Democrats running for governor walked the convention hallways Saturday afternoon, dipping in and out of meetings of the Black Democrats or the veterans’ caucus with staffers in campaign T-shirts close behind. They held hospitality suites to schmooze convention-goers with themes including disco for Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, a classroom for teachers-union-endorsed Sen. Kelda Roys, “The Forward Tap” tavern for Rodriguez and dive bar decor for former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes. 

And in speeches Sunday afternoon, Hong drew the largest cheers as she walked out to “Golden,” the Oscar-winning song from the Netflix movie “KPop Demon Hunters.” 

She spoke of historical Wisconsin political figures like former Secretary of State Vel Phillips, former Gov. and U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson and former Gov. and U.S. Sen. “Fighting” Bob La Follette to suggest that her campaign aligns with the state’s progressive history.

“These folks were called unreasonable, impractical and unelectable and told their ideas should be tempered by convenience. Yet today they’re considered visionaries because possibility is bound only by our ambition,” Hong said. “We must ask ourselves whether conviction is once again strong enough to meet the demands of dangerous and desperate times.”

Missy Hughes, the last candidate to speak and the last place finisher in the straw poll with 1.6% support, found a tepid crowd with some people who got up to leave as she began her remarks. The crowd still gave her a laugh after she compared inheriting challenges from Foxconn as Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. CEO to cleaning up after her children. 

Barnes, who placed second-to-last in the straw poll with 6.9% support, told the crowd about a phone call he received from former President Barack Obama after he lost the 2022 U.S. Senate race to U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, when Obama reminded Barnes that he lost a congressional race before becoming a U.S. senator and ultimately president. Barnes said his experience from the 2022 race puts him in the best position to fight against Republicans in November. 

“I know that when they swing at you, you get right back up and you fight back twice as hard,” Barnes said. “I can tell you, I came through the fire stronger, and I have more experience than anybody else in this race.”

Joel Brennan, who placed fifth in the straw poll with 8.7%, contrasted Tiffany’s career in the Legislature and in Congress with his work leading the Department of Administration under Evers. 

“We proved that competent, honest government can solve major problems when the people running it believe in it,” Brennan said. “Tom Tiffany is ready to trot out that old playbook, but he’s added some ingredients: Donald Trump’s division, chaos, and neglect. Tom has spent his time in Madison and Washington making things materially worse for Wisconsin families at every turn, but you know what? We are not going back.” 

Crowley, who placed fourth in the straw poll with 13.1%, said his role running Milwaukee County makes him the only candidate with executive experience equivalent to the governor. 

“I’ve brought together labor leaders, business leaders, local governments, advocates, and working families to get things done,” Crowley told the crowd. “And at a moment when Wisconsin needs bold leadership focused on delivering results, I’m ready to bring that same approach to the governor’s office.” 

Roys, who placed third in the straw poll with 19%, leaned on her years in the Legislature to highlight that she has bills and plans to enact as governor, instead of “social posts” or “bullet points.” 

“I’m the only candidate in this race with over two decades of passing progressive legislation,” Roys said. “And this moment demands moral clarity, political courage, and the willingness to use political power to make our lives better.” 

Rodriguez, who ran onstage from the back of the convention hall, compared her approach to the campaign with her career as a nurse. 

“Since I’ve been your lieutenant governor, I’ve done what any nurse would do: show up, listen, care, be there where it counts, and stay until the job is done,” Rodriguez said. “At union halls in Kenosha, at dairy farms in Clark County at small businesses in small towns, 72 counties, every single one, every single year, because the job I’m asking you for starts with showing up and then standing up.”

Who is electable?

Convention delegates and guests were split on who is the right candidate for the party at this moment. 

Some Democrats see this year as the time for progressives to shine. Hong’s supporters say that, as the youngest Democratic candidate in the governor’s race, she is pulling in young voters with a progressive message, such as a moratorium on artificial intelligence data centers and calls to abolish prisons. 

“Francesca Hong has a very serious pull with the younger crowd. A lot of younger voters are looking for someone who is very progressive,” said Sevannah Polsin, member of the Fox Valley Young Democrats. “I think a lot of younger voters are disappointed in the impact that Democrats have had in the past.”

Hong supporters at the convention also compared her to recently elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who like Hong is a Democratic socialist.

“Seeing Mamdani, for example, in New York, I think those policies would be like ‘now’s the time,’ right?” said convention attendee Nelson Ojeda. “I think (Hong’s) policies will push Wisconsin in the right direction.”

But a top concern among delegates was whether the party’s nominee can beat Tiffany in November. Some convention-goers told Wisconsin Watch the party needs a candidate to grab the attention of rural swing voters needed for a Democratic win.

Lisa Simonds, a delegate from Baraboo and second vice chair of Sauk County Democrats, said her vote will likely go to Brennan for his experience in the Evers administration and effort to campaign in rural areas. She said while other candidates are focused on the larger cities and ignore rural areas, Brennan had visited her county party in rural Sauk County.

“Joel just seems to have the combination of the intelligence, the experience … the understanding of how life works,” Simonds said. “He cares about the issues that matter to me.” 

While Simonds applauded Hong’s drive, she said she is too young to be the party nominee.

Ojeda said Tiffany has a much larger social reach with his endorsements from the state GOP and Trump, as well as launching multiple statewide ad buys. Brennan is currently the only Democrat with a statewide advertisement, which launched last week.

“(Tiffany) has a huge advertising presence, that’s one thing that I felt like is maybe a little bit of a gap,” said Ojeda, who is leaning toward Hong. “I think Democrats have the opportunity to improve there. … I think that’ll change as we get down because of the number of candidates that are running.”

Ojeda said he hopes the primary ballot will narrow before Aug. 11.

Other Democrats were concerned about the lack of a clear front-runner at this point in the race. Convention attendee Ahmed Hollowell said the state party not endorsing a candidate is “creating a detriment.”

Hollowell said he is not making a decision until he learns more about the candidates. 

“I think the only thing that would probably make this accelerate is probably if Gov. Evers were to endorse someone,” Hollowell said. 

Evers did not endorse any candidate over the weekend, but said in his speech that the “Democratic candidate is going to need each and every one of us, and I know that, because that’s how I won.”

Top two in Democratic gubernatorial straw poll highlight classic debate: Appeal to general electorate or the base? is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

Delegates at the Democratic Party of Wisconsin convention over the weekend expressed optimism about winning trifecta control of state government in November even as many activists remained undecided in the party’s seven-way gubernatorial primary.

William Garcia, the chair for the 3rd Congressional District, has not made up his mind who he will support, though he said that it’s “becoming more realistic that we’re going to gain all three of those” branches of government, “and be able to really transform Wisconsin government in a way that helps Wisconsin working people.”

“It’s hard. It’s a difficult, difficult decision, and most people I talk to here have not made up their mind yet,” Garcia said of the convention.

Evers says Tiffany would leave Wisconsin in bad shape

On the first day of the convention current elected officials  weighed in on what Democrats need to do to win this year. Party members also expressed gratitude to outgoing Gov. Tony Evers, who opted not to seek a third term, creating Wisconsin’s first open gubernatorial race since 2010.

A tribute video recapped Evers’ two terms in office starting with his first election in 2018 when he defeated former Republican Gov. Scott Walker, his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, his support for LGBTQ+ Wisconsinites, the adoption of new voting maps, ending a Republican gerrymander in 2024 and his support for abortion rights following the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

“You’ve probably heard of a guy named Tom Tiffany,” Evers said to booing from delegates, referring to the Republican U.S. representative running for governor. “Maybe you haven’t. We can’t all be the most popular elected official in the state,” he said, a nod to his positive numbers in  statewide polling from Marquette Law School.

“Talk about someone who will give you the willies,” Evers said of Tiffany. He warned that Wisconsin “will end up even worse than this position and where we were when I took office eight years ago” if Tiffany wins in November. 

Evers said Tiffany has spent his time in Congress “saying, ‘no’ to Wisconsin, and ‘yes’ to Donald Trump.” He listed Tiffany’s votes to cut Medicaid, to allow Affordable Care Act tax credits to expire, against the CHIPS and Science Act, which funneled federal money to Wisconsin, and in opposition to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 

In the weeks leading up to the convention, Democratic divisions were on display as lawmakers and Evers publicly clashed over their differences on a tax cut and school funding deal negotiated by Evers and Republican leaders, which legislative Democrats helped defeat. Evers said he was sure Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) had “people wrapped around her finger by giving them jobs that they want” and that there wouldn’t be another vote on the deal if she was against it. Those divisions were on ice during the convention, as Evers said Democrats need to come together to win in November.

“All of this is on the line if Tom Tiffany makes it to the East Wing. We cannot let this happen,” Evers said. “I know how to win, so take it from me. Our Democratic candidate for governor will need every single one of us when they win the primary, and immediately from day one, we’ll not have time for anyone to be sitting on the sidelines.”

Dems ‘might even flip more’ Senate seats 

Throughout the convention, Democrats expressed optimism about winning majorities in the Senate and Assembly for the first time in 15 years.

In the Senate, Democrats currently hold 15 of the 33 Senate Districts. They need to hold their current districts and flip two additional districts to win a majority.

Hesselbein said on Saturday evening that Democrats’ path to a majority will come via flipping four districts: Senate District 5, an open district currently represented by retiring Sen. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield), Senate District 17, currently represented by incumbent Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green), Senate District 21, an open district currently represented by Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine), and Senate District 25, an open district currently represented by Sen. Romaine Quinn, who plans to run in a different district this year.

“Who knows with all this nonsense we see from Trump and the chaos, mass confusion coming out of D.C., we might even flip more,” Hesselbein said. 

Trevor Jung, who most recently worked as the transit director for the city of Racine, is seeking to flip the 21st Senate District. He told the Examiner that he felt an optimism among Democrats at the convention that bodes well for “a lot of hard work, knocking on doors, talking to voters, and winning in November” and is sure Democrats are united. 

“Regardless of what’s happening in the halls of the Capitol, you saw here [Saturday], you know, everybody standing on their feet for a governor who has done an excellent job for the people of Wisconsin,” Jung said. “I think what people are thinking about is in less than six months we’re going to have a completely different state government with a different governor, different leadership, and that’s when we’re going to be able to really solve a lot of these problems.”

Since Jung entered the race, Wanggaard, the district’s longtime Republican incumbent, announced he would not run again. Republican businessman Jim Croft is also running for the seat.

“We are making the cost of living and the economy the No. 1 issue in this election,” Jung said.

Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) joined the convention Saturday evening via a video message with her daughter, Ingrid, who was born a week ago. 

“It is time for new leadership. In Wisconsin, leadership should put the people first. This is the moment that we have worked tirelessly for, and we finally have an opportunity to win a Democratic trifecta in November,” Neubauer said. “It is going to take all of us to get this done between now and November. We have to help people imagine a different future for our state. People need to know that we can build a Wisconsin where they are not one medical emergency away from going broke, where their kids can thrive at their public school and where we can all raise a family when we win.” 

Democrats in the Assembly need to capture an additional five seats to flip the body.

Garcia said the state’s new legislative maps are helping Democrats’ chances of winning in the Legislature, especially in the Assembly.

“The Assembly races look so much different because Republican resources are stretched so thin,” Garcia said. “Because now that we’ve got these fair maps, now that they have to spend money on every race, you can tell that they’re making decisions like, we’re not going to spend money on this race.”

Gubernatorial candidates work to win over support 

The top of the ticket is still unsettled with the primary fast approaching in August. Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Devin Remiker put a positive spin on the crowded field, saying  Democrats’ general election nominee “will have earned it.”

“They will have worked hard. They will not just have had a Truth Social tweet that went from Donald Trump that anointed the nominee like on the Republican side with Tom Tiffany,” Remiker said in his speech Saturday. “This is really what a healthy party looks like. This is what a party with new ideas, energy and leadership looks like.” 

“We have 143 days,” Remiker added. “All gas, no brakes.” 

In March, a Marquette Law School poll found that 65% of Democratic primary voters were undecided. At the convention, Democratic hopefuls were focused on trying to win over party activists

The seven Democrats who will appear on the primary ballot include former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, state Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison), Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, former Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. CEO Missy Hughes, former head of Gov. Tony Evers’ Department of Administration Joel Brennan and state Sen. Kelda Roys. 

On Saturday evening, delegates had the opportunity to meet candidates in their themed hospitality suites, including “Kelda’s Classroom” and “The Mandela Effect”, a remake of a Wisconsin dive bar and Crowley’s “Disco Night with David.” Hong’s hospitality room had the lights turned low, music playing and the Knicks vs. Spurs game playing on a wall.

Each candidate had about five minutes on Sunday afternoon to pitch themselves to party activists. Many criticized Tiffany and Trump as they outlined their visions for the state.

Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez called herself the “proven winner” who can beat Tiffany, saying he is “afraid of fired-up Democrats ready to win this November.” She said that now is the time to stand up to “MAGA extremists like Tom Tiffany, who does whatever Trump tells him to do, rubber-stamping tax breaks for billionaires.”

“Since I’ve been your lieutenant governor, I’ve done what any nurse would do: Show up, listen, care, be there where it counts and stay until the job is done,” Rodriguez said. 

Brennan started by acknowledging “what’s happening in our country.” 

“We have a president who blows up the economy on a whim. It is relentless. It is intended to make us feel overwhelmed, like there’s nothing we can do,” Brennan said. “But here’s what I know about Wisconsin Democrats. We don’t quit. We’ve seen this before in Wisconsin.”

Brennan mentioned former Gov. Walker, saying he “gutted the public sector” and “hollowed out schools.” He emphasized the work he did with Evers as the head of the Department of Administration to rebuild the state after eight years of a Republican trifecta.

“We are not going back. For the first time in the generation, it stops,” Brennan said. “The Democrats can stop playing defense and go on the offensive.”

Crowley didn’t mention Trump until the end of his allotted time, starting instead with his “Badger Basics” policy pitch, which centers on “affordability,” “care” and “pursuing opportunity.” He proposed cutting the “minimum markup” law on gas to help lower prices. He also described  his background growing up in a low-income family in Milwaukee. 

“I learned that when systems fail, it’s families who pay the price,” Crowley said. “I’m tired of politicians who spend all their time talking about problems and none of their time solving, and here’s the reality: winning elections matter y’all, because none of these ideas actually become reality unless Democrats win this upcoming November.” 

Crowley added that bad poll numbers for Trump do not mean a Democrat will automatically win the governor’s office in November. He said the state needs a nominee who will “build a coalition that reaches every corner of the state of Wisconsin” and addressed head-on the question of his race as an African American candidate in a largely white state. 

Wisconsin has never elected a Black governor. 

“As I travel, people always ask me, ‘David, can a Black candidate become governor?’” he said. 

Someone in the audience shouted out: “Hell yeah!” 

“If it’s a candidate that has a plan that’s built on proven public policy, not whatever the latest poll says is popular,” Crowley continued. “Then, yes, the answer is simple, y’all.” 

Cindy George, chair of the Trempealeau County Democrats, told the Examiner Saturday before the speeches that she made her decision about supporting Crowley in the primary after hearing from each candidate in person at their county party meetings. 

“That’s how I really get my vibe about people, is just to meet them in person, because you don’t really get their true nature looking at a website or looking at a piece of paper,” George said. “He really had that good, well-rounded experience.” She added that “he wants to work across the table, and that’s the only one I’ve really heard say that.” 

“That’s not why I solely picked him, but I love that aspect because I think we need to get back to that. That’s one thing that’s been lost with the Trump agenda,” George said. “It’s my way or the highway with them.”

Barnes highlighted his background as an organizer and his childhood in Milwaukee before moving to the national moment. He said he’s running for governor to do things the “Wisconsin Way” by taxing the rich, freezing utility rates, funding public schools, passing universal child care, and providing healthcare access to Wisconsinites. 

“I know firsthand that we’re living in a rigged system. Everybody in this room knows that we’re living in a rigged system, and we see the rich become richer and richer… Donald Trump is the most corrupt president in the history of our country and Wisconsin continues to pay the price,” Barnes said. “From day one of this campaign, my focus has been taking the fight directly to Donald Trump’s hand-picked rubber stamp Tom Tiffany.” Barnes added that Tiffany is “corrupt.”

Roys took note of the national political moment before telling the audience that she has bills and plans, including opening up the state’s health insurance plan and investing the state budget surplus in schools, to help make Wisconsin a “beacon of progress” again. She also touted an endorsement from former Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton and from the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), the state’s largest teachers union.

“This is a terrifying moment. Our democracy is under existential threat. Our economy… is controlled by the wealthiest, most powerful corporations in the world,” Roys said. “We have the power to change that.”

Alexander McDonough, a 20-year-old delegate from Vernon County who supports Hong and attended with his grandmother Christine McDonough, told the Examiner that Roys’ speech stood out to him, but not for positive reasons. 

“I’m just so used to, like, fear-mongering, and like, this giant gloomy shadow above head, and it was just kind of like, I don’t know, I’m completely null to it at this point,” McDonough said.

McDonough said Hong’s “politics of hope” appears powerful to him.

“So many young people, such as myself, are totally apathetic to any sort of politics or community engagement, and to have that candidate I can funnel that hope and just instill that vision of the future is so valuable,” McDonough said.

Hong, a Democratic socialist, sought to draw a parallel between her candidacy and Wisconsin legacies including Vel Phillips, the first woman elected to statewide office, Fighting Bob La Follette, a leader of the national progressive movement from Wisconsin, and environmentalist Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day.

“People before us, who imagined a better world and fought like hell to realize it, these folks were called unreasonable, impractical, and unelectable,” Hong said. “Today, they are considered visionaries because possibility is found only by our ambition.

Hong declared her support for a moratorium on data center construction and for universal child care and paid family leave. 

“I am the only candidate in this race who takes income and power inequality seriously,” Hong said. “When we acknowledge that [people] are getting screwed over, but that a better world is possible, they show up. We talk a whole lot of games about opposing Trump. That’s not enough to win a trifecta,” Hong said. “If we don’t build the power and organize the people required to deliver a better Wisconsin, if we don’t give people something that they can believe in, we’ll go back to fighting for survival every single election.”

Striking a different tone, Hughes spoke about her background working for Organic Valley, a farmer-owned cooperative and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and also told delegates that Wisconsin needs to fund public schools, build housing and create a healthcare system that works for everyone.

“We have work to do. Every bit of that work, will take resources, and we have to think about where those resources are going to come from,” Hughes said, adding that Wisconsinites “will trust us to deliver economic justice, but they know that in order to have economic justice, you have to have economic growth, and we have to deliver a candidate to them who has a proven record of results of building economic growth.”

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The state’s most devoted Democrats are scheduled to gather in Madison this weekend for the party’s annual convention where the seven-way race for the Democratic nomination for governor is likely to take center stage. 

Democratic caucus and county party leaders told Wisconsin Watch they are hopeful the convention could be a clarifying moment in the primary campaign on who has enough support to make it to the August primary. None of the main contenders dropped out ahead of last week’s filing deadline, so seven names will appear on the Aug. 11 Democratic primary ballot.

When Democrats convene at the Monona Terrace Convention Center on Saturday, there will be less than 45 days until early voting starts in late July.

“If their message does not ring true to the delegates at the convention, they better listen to the applause because people will be honest with them,” said Susan Chandler, the 1st Congressional District chair and vice chair of the Walworth County Democrats. “Everybody who goes to the convention is a highly engaged Democrat, and for every one of those highly engaged, we all know 10 people who are not. We’re bringing a lot of background to that convention and critically listening to these candidates.” 

After Democratic Gov. Tony Evers decided not to run for a third term, seven Democratic candidates submitted the signatures to make the ballot. They include former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, former Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Madison state Rep. Francesca Hong, former Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. Secretary Missy Hughes, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez and Madison Sen. Kelda Roys. 

Meanwhile, Wisconsin Republicans have coalesced around U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who received the Republican Party of Wisconsin’s endorsement at their annual convention in May and was endorsed by President Donald Trump in January. Tiffany has just one primary opponent, Andy Manske, a 27-year-old medical service technician.

“We want to know who is best situated to make bold sweeping change here in Wisconsin to provide a better life for Wisconsinites, and who is best situated to beat Tom Tiffany in a head-to-head,” said Brett Timmerman, the chair of the Milwaukee County Democratic Party. “I think that people are going to the convention looking for somebody to stand out in a meaningful way to deliver that message of why they think they are the best person to carry the torch forward.”

The closest comparison to this year’s field is the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary when 10 candidates ran for the opportunity to unseat then-Republican Gov. Scott Walker. Two dropped out in June before the primary that year. 

Evers, who had statewide election experience as the superintendent of public instruction, won the Democratic primary that year with 42% of the vote and later defeated Walker in the general election. Evers didn’t win a majority of primary voters, but his closest opponent only mustered 16.4% of the vote. 

A large primary, like the one in 2018, forces candidates to explain why voters should support their campaign, said Martha Laning, who served as the chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin during the 2018 election cycle.

At the 2018 state Democratic convention, the candidates all had the opportunity to make a three-minute pitch to party die-hards on what they would do for Wisconsin, Laning said. A spokesperson for the state party said all seven of the Democrats who made the ballot will also have a chance to speak this weekend. 

“I think it’s great to put all of the candidates up there and to just let people know what their options are,” Laning said. “Again, any of them will be better than Tom Tiffany, so the more people talking about how they would do things and how they would improve people’s lives in Wisconsin is a good thing for us.”

Negativity and consolidation

It’s been a quiet primary among the slew of Democratic candidates over the last six months, with few events that set the campaigns apart. Hong led the field with 14% in the most recent Marquette University Law School Poll in March. The poll also found that 65% of voters were undecided on who to vote for in the primary.

It’s worth watching if the convention is a place where candidates take negative swipes at each other with the August primary on the horizon, said Anthony Chergosky, an associate professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. 

“This has been a remarkably chill campaign, and I’m wondering if we’re going to see things heat up a little bit,” Chergosky said. 

Hints of discord are emerging in the primary. Hughes last month was the only candidate to publicly support the failed $1.8 billion bipartisan surplus deal negotiated between Evers and Republican legislative leaders. After the deal failed in the Senate, Hughes posted unnamed criticism of “certain self-serving Democratic candidates for governor who would rather boost their own personal political ambitions than serve our kids and taxpayers.” 

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last week reported that Hong was sued in May by Capital One for nearly $30,000 in credit card debt, which her campaign said had already been paid. Hong in a video posted on social media said the story showed her “opponents are scrambling.” 

“They are scared of what we’ve built, our platform that’s resonating with working class people all across the state who feel left behind, our organizing infrastructure that’s being built stronger every day,” Hong said. “They want to pull me off track and how dare they.” 

The convention could also serve as a milestone for consolidation in the race in the coming weeks, Chergosky said. A fractured field means one of the candidates could win with just 30% of the vote, but the math changes if someone drops out, he noted. 

For Gloria Hochstein, the chair of the party’s Rural Caucus, the circumstances of a large field of candidates make her wish ranked-choice voting was an option for this primary.

“The problem is that there are some really good people running, and the thoughtful voter is really going to have to decide where his or her vote should be,” Hochstein said. 

But the convention could “turn the tide” for some candidates who might drop out if they see they don’t have the statewide reach among the party’s most faithful, she said. 

“I think that’s the realization, some of the candidates, I hope they come to sooner rather than later,” Hochstein said.

The Democratic field for Wisconsin governor has been static for months. That could all change this week. is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

Gov. Tony Evers, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) — Wisconsin’s three leaders all of whom are set to retire this year — announced a $1.8 billion deal Monday to provide additional funding to Wisconsin schools for general aid and special education and tax relief in the form of rebate checks, property tax cuts and the elimination of taxes on tips and overtime. 

The deal is the culmination of months of negotiations on how to use the state’s projected surplus to provide additional funding to schools and tax relief to Wisconsinites.

Negotiations kicked off at the beginning of this year after the general fund surplus was projected to be $2.37 billion at the end of the biennium, June 30, 2027 — about $1.5 billion higher than expected. However, they fell apart as Evers and Senate and Assembly leaders argued over the form that a proposal should take and a deal was not reached before the end of the regular legislative session. 

According to a Department of Administration and Department of Revenue memo released Monday, the state’s general fund tax collections are tracking between $300 million and $350 million above the January estimates. 

Evers said the school funding was the biggest win in the bipartisan agreement. The deal includes $300 million for special education funding and $300 million for school general aids. 

“I think money for schools, that’s obviously the most important thing for me, but again, we’re in a position to actually compromise and have Republicans and Democrats, at least in the leadership level, getting something done,” Evers said. 

Evers spoke to reporters during a visit to Barneveld middle and high schools where he spoke to students and staff about their mental health initiatives on Monday morning. He was there to highlight investments that have been made in schools. He noted that Barneveld is a good school district and said the deal reached by him and lawmakers would “make them an even better” one. 

About $85 million will be used to guarantee schools get 42% of their special education costs reimbursed for the 2025-26 school year and the remaining funds will be used to guarantee a 50% reimbursement rate in 2026-27. 

The 2025-27 state budget promised a 42% special ed reimbursement rate in the first year of the budget and a 45% rate in the second year, but the funds set aside were not adequate to meet those rates. 

The state’s special education reimbursement is currently a “sum certain” appropriation, meaning that there is a fixed pot of money available for the costs. If schools’ costs exceed the amount set aside, then the rate of reimbursement is lower. A change to a sum sufficient appropriation would ensure that the amount available is enough to cover the promised rates. 

Evers said negotiations couldn’t get to a sum sufficient appropriation for special education funding, but that negotiators used figures that should get the state to the promised rates. 

“Next budget people have to ensure that it is sum sufficient, but we did not get across that bridge, unfortunately,” Evers said. “Look, we know what the numbers are, so it’s going to be 50[%].”

The deal will also increase funding for pupils participating in the choice, charter, special needs scholarship  and open enrollment programs by $16 million. 

The investment into general school aids comes after lawmakers declined to provide any new funding in the 2025-27 state budget and property taxpayers across the state saw increases in December. The $300 million is intended to help buy down school property tax levies, although the amount will not completely cover the $325 per pupil in additional school revenue limit authority that school districts have as a result of a previous Evers budget veto.

The agreement also includes $50 million meant to serve as property tax relief aid for the Wisconsin Technical College System beginning in 2026-27. 

The Wisconsin Association of School Boards said in a statement that it was encouraged by the deal’s investments in special education and general aids, but cautioned that it would not completely fix schools’ financial issues.

“While these resources are important for public schools struggling with a declining level of state investment, it will not solve the longer-term problem,” WASB said. “The state has shifted away from providing inflationary increases in spendable resources for schools for 17 years. One state surplus deal cannot reverse that trend by itself.”

The Joint Finance Committee is scheduled to take up the proposal on Tuesday, and it’s expected that the full Assembly and Senate will take up the proposal on Wednesday in a special session. Ever signed an executive order for the session Monday afternoon. 

Vos said in a statement that legislators would be sending the surplus  “back to help families with the pressure of increasing costs, reward hard work, and to continue investing in schools to help stabilize rising property taxes.”

LeMahieu said Repiblicans’  top priority was to send the surplus back to “hardworking taxpayers across the state.” 

“This deal will provide immediate relief with $600 in surplus refund payments and provide permanent property and income tax relief for Wisconsin families,” LeMahieu said. 

The deal will also provide $300 tax refunds for individuals and $600 refunds for married joint filers. Tax relief in this form was originally a Senate Republican proposal, though they had proposed rebates of $1,000 for married joint filers and $500 for individuals.

The deal also includes the elimination of taxes on tips and overtime — two proposals that Evers initially vetoed. The proposal will align state with federal law, though the state proposals differ as they are permanent changes rather than having a sunset date in 2028. 

Evers expressed confidence that there are enough votes to get the deal through both houses and to his desk. 

“I need a majority of each house, and whether that’s all Democrats, all Republicans or a mix, I don’t care,” Evers said. “I think it would be hard for anyone to say I’m not in favor of this…[when] as a result, my local school district gets screwed. I think that’s going to be a hard position for people to take.” 

It’s already clear that not every member is on board as Democratic and Republican Senate lawmakers express concerns and opposition to the deal in statements.

Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) said in a statement that from her perspective there is no deal. She said her caucus needs to see the full details of the “expensive proposal” before they say more. 

“Three men who will not be in elected office next year have come up with this proposal which Senate Dems will be reviewing,” Hesselbein said. “Any proposal must pass both houses of the legislature and no one knows if Republicans have the votes to pass it.”

Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) has not responded to a request for comment. 

Sen. Steve Nass (R-Whitewater), who is also retiring this year, said in a statement that he “can’t support another bad deal cut by leaders that will never face the voters again.” 

With an open race for governor and control of the state Legislature up in the air, some expressed concerns about leaders deciding to spend down the surplus when they won’t be around to deal with the consequences next year. 

Democratic candidates for governor, Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison) and former Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan criticized the way lawmakers negotiated the deal and the contents of the deal. 

“Budgets are difficult to negotiate and demand tough decisions, and that’s why I believe they must be done in public with input from Wisconsinites. It’s very disappointing that this one wasn’t, and we should expect all candidates for governor to commit to an open process,” Brennan said. “I’m all for putting money back in people’s pockets, giving our schools a much-needed boost, and providing some property tax relief, but this deal misses the mark in many other ways. It does nothing to address the cost-of-living crisis that is still crushing Wisconsin families on things like child care, health care, and gas and utility prices.” 

Roys said the leaders had come to a “backroom” deal.

“This latest deal is the height of fiscal irresponsibility,” Roys said. “It spends a projected ‘surplus’ before it’s in the bank, even though that projection was estimated before Trump’s attack on Iran that disrupted our economy and caused gas prices to skyrocket. It gives a little one time money to public schools while permanently cementing unfairness in our tax structure. Worst of all, it blows nearly a billion dollars on an election year gimmick to send out rebates, squandering the ability of a new Democratic majority to make the long-overdue investments in our kids that they deserve.”

The critique on the transparency in the negotiation process comes after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, who is also campaigning for the nomination, was recorded saying she would craft the state’s next budget “behind a curtain.”

Evers told reporters that the negotiations with lawmakers was typical process.

“Well, sometimes you do things behind the curtain,” Evers said. “Leadership both from my staff and others on the other side met on a regular basis, and we kept others informed about that. Now, if… [Roys is] angry because we didn’t involve every legislator prior to, that doesn’t happen with a regular budget, too. So if she’s going to be governor, she needs to get used to it.” 

He continued: “If she’s not going to support it, my question would be, ‘How do you run for governor of the state of Wisconsin and say to your schools, well, you know, this money of 42% and 50% for special education, I’m against that?’ That’s a tough one to run against.”

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