威斯康星初选惊天反转，进步左翼罕见受挫
戴维・克劳利宣布退出竞选仅一个月后，于周二拿下威斯康星州民主党州长初选，这场胜利堪称惊天逆转。
这位密尔沃基县行政长官宣布退选十天后，再度参选。彼时，民主社会主义州议员弗朗西斯卡・洪的竞选势头几乎势不可挡。
但周三一早，站出来呼吁民主党选民放下意识形态分歧、团结起来，在今年秋季大选共同对抗共和党众议员汤姆・蒂法尼的人，是克劳利，而非洪。
这场出人意料的胜利，拉开了中间派民主党建制派与激进进步派持续博弈的全新关键篇章，也反映出在总统大选摇摆州，选民对极左翼候选人能否顺利拿下大选心存顾虑。
即将卸任、口碑颇佳的民主党现任州长托尼・埃弗斯上月劝说克劳利重返竞选赛道，并在初选冲刺阶段全程陪同他走遍威斯康星州各地拉票，直言不讳地呼吁选民审慎投票。
埃弗斯在最后一场竞选集会上表示：“我发自内心确信，戴维・克劳利是我们击败汤姆・蒂法尼的最佳人选。很多人问我为什么选他，因为戴维是那种能实实在在办成事的人。”
现年 40 岁的克劳利拥有丰富地方从政履历。他曾任职州众议院，2020 年当选密尔沃基县行政长官，四年后顺利连任。共和党前州长斯科特・沃克也曾走过同款从政路线：先担任州议员，之后执掌密尔沃基县八年，他也是首位出任该职位的共和党人，2010 年成功当选州长。
克劳利有望创造历史：倘若 11 月大选胜出，他将成为该州首位非裔州长。
周三，克劳利重新向选民介绍自己：“我是土生土长的密尔沃基人。骨子里我是一名社区活动组织者，过去六年，我先后任职州议会、执掌密尔沃基县政府。”
克劳利讲述了自己坎坷的成长经历：童年深陷至暗时光，经历驱逐、心理疾病、成瘾问题、居无定所；19 岁辍学学习电工手艺，担任县长期间，于 2024 年从威斯康星大学密尔沃基分校毕业。
“我亲身经历过苦难，所以我懂生活的不易。我体会过依靠公立学校、渴望机遇的滋味。我坚信，只要有人愿意扶持普通人，未来就一定能变好、彻底改写人生。” 激进左翼首次遭遇重大阻碍
今年，民主社会主义阵营战绩颇丰：拿下华盛顿市长初选、在纽约和丹佛击败现任联邦众议员，还在费城、底特律的国会选区初选中战胜温和派对手。
就在上周，进步派前公共卫生官员阿卜杜勒・埃尔 － 赛义德在密歇根州联邦参议员初选中击败建制派温和众议员黑莉・史蒂文斯。众多民主党人此前担忧，埃尔 － 赛义德的激进主张会疏远温和选民、独立选民以及倒戈共和党人 —— 而这些选票是他 11 月大选取胜的关键。其激进观点包括强烈批评以色列在加沙的军事行动、主张废除移民海关执法局、推行全民公立医保。
但威斯康星州初选完全不具备上述竞选的有利条件。
佛蒙特州参议员伯尼・桑德斯、马萨诸塞州参议员伊丽莎白・沃伦、纽约州众议员亚历山德里娅・奥卡西奥 － 科尔特斯等进步派核心人物均未站台助阵，这场初选因此无法成为检验民主党整体路线的风向标。
7 月，初选候选人阵容多次大变：先是克劳利退选；随后热门中间派候选人、副州长萨拉・罗德里格斯因竞选资金丑闻退出；在埃弗斯劝说下，克劳利重新参选；最后，埃弗斯首任副州长曼德拉・巴恩斯也宣布弃选。距离投票日仅剩数周，克劳利成了仅剩的温和派候选人。
但投票前夕，曾是厨师、餐馆老板的洪，在多档电视访谈中的发言引发争议，选民开始质疑她能否承受摇摆州大选高强度舆论审视。
CNN 采访中，记者问及她 2020 年一条呼吁取消感恩节的推文，她回答得颠三倒四。这段采访迅速传遍网络，不少民主党选民受访时表示，这件事让他们怀疑洪的大选竞争力。
另一关键变数：大量威斯康星选民提前投票，而当时候选人名单仍在频繁变动。该州规则不允许选民作废已投选票、重新投票。
截至周三下午，选票仍在统计，已有 20％ 选民（超 16．5 万人）投票给克劳利、洪以外的候选人。另一名进步派州参议员凯尔达・罗伊斯斩获近 6 万张选票，其中 1．6 万余票来自洪的老家麦迪逊所在的戴恩县。
克劳利与洪的得票差距不足 4000 票，以上任意一个因素，都可能左右最终胜负。
周三上午，克劳利在密尔沃基发表胜选演说：“我们未必认同所有政策，标签也各不相同，但所有人都期盼安全社区、优质学校、平价医疗、高薪工作，期盼孩子们拥有光明未来。我们拥有共同的目标：阻止‘让美国再次伟大’极端势力，把华盛顿的乱象带到威斯康星本地。” 初选最后冲刺
民主党建制派集体倒向克劳利，是其竞选翻盘的核心助力。
埃弗斯全程陪同克劳利走完初选冲刺行程，威斯康星民主党人希望抓住今年秋季难得的胜选窗口。
近年民主党在威斯康星州势头回暖，拿下州最高法院两个关键席位；经过共和党多年执政，民主党终于有望掌控州议会。
埃弗斯周日一场造势活动中说道：“威斯康星民众，我们艰苦奋斗、等待多年，绝不能让一切付诸东流。我们打拼换来的所有成果，都在此一战。”
这番话专门针对麦迪逊等地区举棋不定的选民，比如凯利・沃尔特斯。混乱的初选让她十分困扰，迟迟无法确定投票对象。
沃尔特斯在圣约长老会教堂投票后表示：“我很认可埃弗斯州长，这场初选候选人众多，他出面支持克劳利，帮我下定了决心。”
卡伦・内夫参加了克劳利最后一场造势活动，对民主党初选接连有人退选、各派迟迟无法整合统一候选人的乱象十分失望。
“洪和克劳利二选一的局面，实在让人失望。我挺欣赏洪，但担心她选不上。作为民主社会主义者，她的立场太过尖锐。我不认为信奉民主社会主义有问题，但她态度过于激进，会吓跑大量选民。”
74 岁的埃弗斯算不上全美风格亮眼的州长，但威斯康星多名民主党顾问表示，他在选民心中公信力极高，初选末期出面背书起到决定性作用。
一名资深党内顾问告诉 CNN：“没有州长鼎力相助，克劳利不可能赢。他的背书时机、公开支持至关重要。”
竞选最后几天，每场活动埃弗斯都会在台上拥抱克劳利，清晰传递全力支持的信号。尽管手握绝大多数建制派力量，克劳利却不愿被贴上 “老牌建制政客” 标签。
克劳利接受 CNN 采访时称：“我或许身处体制内，但我绝不代表建制派。” 整合全新选民联盟
如今克劳利需要弥合党内分裂，半数选民都投票给了他的对手；他还要拓宽选民基本盘，备战对阵蒂法尼的大选。
周三，他在密尔沃基一处社区中心发表讲话，率先释放和解信号，称赞洪的竞选：“她让威斯康星所有人明白，只要坚信更好的未来、为每个家庭争取更多机遇，再渺茫的竞选也有希望。”
“这份热忱让我们的民主更有力量。接下来，我会努力争取她以及所有参选者支持者的选票，携手前行。”
克劳利同时亮出针对蒂法尼的攻击主线，抨击这名共和党众议员附和特朗普关于 2020 大选大规模舞弊的言论，还投票削减食品救济券等民生项目拨款。
他承诺，未来一段时间，将全力团结民主党人、独立选民、反感极端 “让美国再次伟大” 势力执掌州政府的共和党人。
洪也迅速着手修复党内裂痕，周三一早致电克劳利承认败选，并同意出席党内团结活动。
周二晚间，洪对支持者表示，无论谁拿下初选，民主党人都会彼此并肩奋斗。
“所有参选者都清楚，我们有能力、也必须创造更好的生活。” 她在麦迪逊的支持者集会上说道。
Inside the Wisconsin upset that shook the progressive left for a change
One month after he suspended his campaign， David Crowley’s victory in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor on Tuesdaymarked an astonishing turn around．
When the Milwaukee County executive re－entered the race 10 days after he exited it， democratic socialist state lawmakerFrancesca Hong’s momentumseemed near insurmountable．
But on Wednesday morning， it was Crowley， not Hong， who was urging his party’s voters to set aside their ideological differences and unite against “something much bigger” in this fall’s race against Republican Rep． Tom Tiffany．
The stunning win opens a critical new chapter in the ongoing battle between the center－left Democratic establishment and its progressive insurgency — one that revealed voters’ hesitancy around the electability of further－left candidates in a presidential battleground．
Tony Evers， the popular outgoing Democratic governor， recruited Crowley back into the race last month and campaigned at his side as they traveled together across Wisconsin in the closing stretch of the race， mincing few words as he implored voters to weigh their choices carefully．
“In my heart of hearts， I know David Crowley is the best chance we have of beating Tom Tiffany，” Evers said at one of his final rallies． “A lot of people have asked： Why David？ David is the kind of guy who gets shit done．”
The 40－year－old has a long record in local politics． A former member of the state Assembly， Crowley was elected Milwaukee County executive in 2020 and won a second term four years later． It’s the same path that GOP former Gov． Scott Walker followed： serving in the legislature， then as Milwaukee County’s executive for eight years — where he was the first Republican to hold the role — prior to being elected governor in 2010．
Crowley also has the chance to make history． If elected in November， he would be the state’s first Black governor．
“I’m a son of Milwaukee，” he said Wednesday， seeking to introduce himself anew． “I’m a community organizer by heart who has just happened to find himself in the halls of the state capitol building and at the head of Milwaukee County government for the last six years．”
Crowley described his climb from the “very dark days” of his childhood， which included eviction， mental health struggles， addiction and housing uncertainty， to dropping out of college at 19 to pursue an electrical apprenticeship， and ultimately graduating from the University of Wisconsin－Milwaukee in 2024 while serving as county executive．
“I know what it means to face hardship because I’ve lived it． I know what it’s like to rely on public schools， to depend on opportunity， and to believe that if that if people invest in you， your future can improve and it absolutely can change，” he said．
Insurgent left hits a rare road block
Democratic socialists this year have won the mayoral primary inWashington， DC，ousted House incumbents in New York City and Denver and defeated moderate contenders in congressional contests in Philadelphia and Detroit．
Just last week， progressive former public health officialAbdul El－Sayedbested the establishment pick， moderate Rep． Haley Stevens， in Michigan’s Senate primary， despite many Democrats’ worries that El－Sayed’s positions — including his strident criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza， his support for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and his advocacy for Medicare for All — might alienate the moderates， independents and disaffected Republicans whose votes he will need to win November’s general election．
Wisconsin lacked many of the hallmarks of those races．
Key progressive figures like Vermont Sen． Bernie Sanders， Massachusetts Sen． Elizabeth Warren and New York Rep． Alexandria Ocasio－Cortez stayed out of the primary — a reality that made the race less of a litmus test on the party’s broader direction．
The primary field was jumbled several times in July． First， Crowley dropped out． Then a top center－left choice， Lt． Gov． Sara Rodriguez， ended her own campaign amid a campaign finance scandal． At Evers’ urging， Crowley jumped back into the race． Finally， Evers’ first－term lieutenant governor，Mandela Barnes， exited． Just weeks from Election Day， Crowley was improbably the last moderate contender left standing．
But in the days leading up to the election， the former chef and restaurant owner set off alarm bells herself with a series of television interviews that raised questions about whether she was prepared to handle the intense scrutiny of a general election in a battleground state．
In an interview with CNN， she gave a meandering answer when asked about a 2020 tweet in which she advocated for canceling Thanksgiving． The moment went viral， and many Democratic voters said in interviews that it gave them pause about Hong’s viability in November．
Another complicating factor： Many Wisconsin voters cast their ballots early and while the primary field was still in flux． This year， they were not given the opportunity to scrap the ballots they’d already submitted and ask for new ones．
Twenty percent of the electorate — more than 165，000 voters as of Wednesday afternoon， with the final ballots still being counted — had voted for candidates other than Crowley and Hong． Another progressive， state Sen． Kelda Roys， had claimed nearly 60，000 votes — including more than 16，000 in Dane County， which covers Hong’s hometown of Madison．
With Crowley and Hong separated by less than 4，000 votes， any of those factors could be the difference in the race’s outcome．
“We may not agree on every policy． We may not use the same labels． But we all want safe communities， strong schools， affordable health care， good－paying jobs， and a brighter future for all of our children． And every one of us has something much bigger to unite around， and that is keeping MAGA extremism from bringing the chaos we see in Washington into our neighborhoods right here in the state of Wisconsin，” Crowley said in a victory speech Wednesday morning in Milwaukee．
The final sprint
The consolidation of establishment support around Crowley also played a key role in reviving his campaign．
Evers and Crowley hit the road together on a final sprint to Election Day， as Wisconsin Democrats looked to salvage a rare opening this fall．
Democrats have been on the rise in Wisconsin， winning two key Supreme Court seats in recent years， with a statehouse majority finally within grasp after years of Republican rule．
“Wisconsinites， we have worked too damn hard and we have waited too damn long to have this all squandered now． Everything we built and everything we worked for is on the line，” Evers said at a campaign stop Sunday．
It was a message aimed squarely at undecided voters like Kelly Walters of Madison， who was frustrated by the chaotic primary and unsure of who to support．
“I really like Gov． Evers and I appreciate his support in a race where there’s a lot of candidates，” Walters said as she left her polling place at the Covenant Presbyterian Church． “Not knowing at the end who to support， that definitely helped me in my decision．”
Karen Neff， who came to see Crowley at one of his final campaign stops， was visibly frustrated with all of the wild twists and turns in the Democratic primary， with candidates dropping out of the race and failing to coalesce around one alternative sooner．
“I’m really disappointed that we find ourselves in this mess between Hong and Crowley，” said Neff， who said she liked Hong， but worried about her electability． “She has been fairly abrasive in her stance as a democratic socialist． I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being a democratic socialist， but she’s come out so strong that I think she’s going to scare people．”
Evers， 74， is hardly the flashiest of the nation’s governors． But several Democratic advisers in Wisconsin said he has an unusually deep reservoir of trust with voters and his late endorsement in the race was critical．
“Without the governor’s helping hand， Crowley couldn’t have won，” a longtime party adviser told CNN． “His timing and his backing were critical．”
At each stop in the closing days of the race， Evers literally embraced Crowley on stage， sending an unmistakable signal of his support and seal of approval． But while Crowley had the backing of much of the party establishment， he bristled at the notion that he was an entrenched part of it．
“I may be established，” Crowley told CNN， “but I’m not the establishment．”
Building a new coalition
Now， Crowley must unite the divided factions of the party， a majority of which voted for his opponents， and expand his base as he looks ahead to the general election against Tiffany．
He started on Wednesday with a speech at a community center in Milwaukee where he praised Hong for running a campaign that he said “reminded people across Wisconsin that there are no longshots when it comes to believing in a better future and fighting to expand opportunities to every family．”
“That kind of passion strengthens our democracy， and I look forward to earning their support and everyone who participated in this campaign as we move forward together，” he said．
Crowley also previewed his lines of attack against Tiffany， blasting the GOP congressman for siding with President Donald Trump’s claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election and for voting to slash funding for programs like food stamps．
In the coming days， he vowed to turn his focus to “coalescing Democrats， independents， Republicans， and those who are afraid of having a MAGA extremists occupying our governorship．”
Hong also looked to quickly mend the party’s rifts， calling Crowley to concede early Wednesday morning and agreeing to appear at a unity event．
She said in a speech on Tuesday night that no matter who wins the primary， Democrats are going to “continue to fight for each other．”
“Because everyone who’s running in this race， they know that we can make better possible — and we must make better possible，” she told supporters in Madison．
