(WTAQ) — Establishment-backed Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley narrowly defeated upstart, Democratic Socialist-backed 76th district Assemblywoman Francesca Hong in a closely-watched race that drew national attention.
The race was extraordinarily tight between Crowley and democratic socialist State Rep. Francesca Hong throughout Tuesday night. The victory came around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday after 28,000 absentee ballots from Milwaukee were delayed because of a human error in uploading the results.
With 98% of precincts reporting as of 3:27 am, Crowley had 313,321 votes statewide accounting for 40% of votes cast, while Hong had 310,110 for 39% of votes cast. Distant 3rd and 4th were state senator Kelda Roys at 7% and former state official Joel Brennan at 5%.
Crowley’s campaign manager, Garren Randolph, released a statement on Wednesday morning:
“David Crowley is grateful to Wisconsin voters, the volunteers who powered this campaign, and everyone who stepped forward to participate in this primary. To Francesca, Kelda, Joel, and every candidate who shared their vision for Wisconsin, thank you. They challenged all of us to think bigger about what our state can become.”
The win is a big comeback for Crowley, who last month dropped out of the race before re-entering when Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez, who drew support from Governor Tony Evers and several big-name state democrats, abruptly left the race amid controversy surrounding her former campaign manager, who reportedly severely mismanaged campaign finances.
Recent Marquette polls had shown Hong with a strong lead in the chaotic race.
If the margin is less than one percentage point, the losing candidate can seek a recount.
