Democratic Gubernatorial Debate in Wisconsin Highlights Key Issues

The five Democratic candidates for governor in Wisconsin maintained a largely cordial tone during their only debate on Tuesday night, despite the competition heating up with the primary just two weeks away. As early voting is already in motion for the crucial August 11 primary, a large portion of Democratic voters remain undecided. Surprisingly, no one targeted Francesca Hong, who is leading in the polls and is a state representative from Madison known for her democratic socialist stance. Concerns about her general election viability did not lead to attacks from her competitors.

The lone moment of tension occurred between Mandela Barnes and David Crowley. Barnes criticized Crowley for rejoining the race with the endorsement of outgoing Governor Tony Evers after Sara Rodriguez’s sudden exit. Barnes stated, “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. Things will always be the same with that sort of leadership. We should be asking for more.” Crowley chose not to directly engage with this remark but emphasized his background, saying, “I was actually born into struggle” and that he wasn’t there to preserve the status quo.

The candidates, including state Senator Kelda Roys and Joel Brennan, former Secretary of the Department of Administration, showed a general consensus on various topics. These included reducing property taxes, scaling back on a school voucher program, and imposing taxes on individuals with annual earnings exceeding $1 million. Hong’s ties to the Democratic Socialists of America did not become a point of contention among the candidates, despite concerns within the party about her ability to face Rep. Tom Tiffany, the likely Republican candidate, in November.

Hong has been criticized throughout her campaign for previous statements about defunding the police and her belief that “a perfect world would be a world without prisons.” During the debate, she sought to clarify her positions. When questioned by moderators on these issues and her alignment with the national DSA’s positions, Hong replied, “I do not support the full platform of the national DSA, and I am not endorsed by DSA national. What democratic socialism is is a form of government that puts working-class people first.” She reiterated her commitment to public education, taxing the wealthy, and investing in childcare and affordable housing. Hong expressed her desire to contribute to transforming the Democratic Party into a broader coalition.

Addressing the concern that taxing the rich might drive them out of Wisconsin, Hong insisted her policies would also benefit wealthy citizens by enhancing the quality of life, saying, “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.”

The debate also touched on a recent fatal police shooting of a Madison man, which sparked protests and calls for accountability. Hong, when asked if she would support a budget that cuts police funding, responded, “No. The governor cannot defund police, and I’m not here to govern by slogan. I’m here to make sure that I am the governor that is most serious about public safety.” Barnes added that the incident in the video was disturbing, stressing the importance of preventing similar events. However, he clarified, “of course, I would not sign a budget that reduced funding” for law enforcement. Crowley echoed the necessity of transparency and stated, “we cannot defund the police.”

Barnes, who previously lost a Senate race narrowly, positioned himself as the only candidate on stage with statewide election victories. Meanwhile, Crowley highlighted his experience in local government leadership as a distinguishing factor. Crowley also addressed questions about his judgment concerning an old social media account attributed to him that contained controversial posts. He appealed to his supporters’ confidence, noting the endorsement from Evers and various labor unions, saying, “I’m here to deliver real results for Wisconsinites all over our state.”