Wisconsin Democratic Governor Candidates Clash in First and Only Televised Debate

Wisconsin Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates Clash in First and Only Televised Debate

Front-Runner Francesca Hong Faces Scrutiny and Softens Stance on Police Funding

State Representative Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist from Madison who has consistently led the primary field, largely escaped direct attacks from her opponents during the debate. However, she faced questioning regarding her past statements, including previous calls to defund and abolish the police and her view that a perfect world would be a world without prisons.

Asked by moderators whether she would sign a bill or budget cutting police funding—following protests over the fatal shooting of a Madison man by a police officer—Hong replied, No. She added, The governor cannot defund police, and I’m not here to govern by slogan. All five candidates on stage similarly stated they would not approve a state budget or bill cutting funding for police departments.

Hong also distanced herself from certain elements of the national Democratic Socialists of America platform, which includes positions such as abolishing the U.S. Senate, abolishing prisons, and rewriting the Constitution.

Voter reactions to Hong’s candidacy remain sharply divided. Madison voter Ian Anderson expressed strong support, stating, She’s exactly the burst of energy we need. Conversely, Milwaukee voter Steve Wiesner raised concerns over her DSA affiliation, noting he would vote Republican for the first time if she wins the nomination.

Tensions Rise Between Mandela Barnes and David Crowley

The only significant clash of the debate occurred between Hong’s top two rivals: former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. Barnes criticized Crowley for re-entering the race following an endorsement from outgoing Governor Tony Evers, which came after Lieutenant Gov. Sara Rodriguez abruptly dropped out amid a campaign finance scandal on July 16, following Crowley’s brief exit on July 8.

It’s been mentioned that the county executive had his campaign resurrected by special interests in a dark room with people with their thumb on the scale, Barnes said during the debate, according to NBC News. Barnes also promoted his electability, touting himself as the only candidate on stage who had previously won statewide and pointing to a Marquette University Law School poll showing him defeating likely Republican nominee Tom Tiffany in a hypothetical matchup.

Agreement on School Vouchers, Taxes, and Data Centers

Aside from the exchange between Barnes and Crowley, candidates found substantial agreement on several key policy areas:

• Education: Barnes, Hong, and state Senator Kelda Roys stated they would sign a bill to end Milwaukee’s 36-year-old school voucher program, which currently serves 30,000 students. Former Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan criticized that stance as unrealistic given the local education landscape.
• Taxation: Candidates expressed support for raising taxes on residents earning more than $1 million annually. Hong expressed hope that wealthy residents could still thrive under her proposed policies, stating, We can improve the quality of life for millionaires and ensure that they, too, will be able to live, work and thrive here in our state.
• Data Centers: Following poll results showing most Wisconsinites believe the costs of data centers outweigh their benefits, the candidates agreed on the need for stricter guardrails, energy cost accountability, and grid upgrades for incoming tech infrastructure.