WISN announced that they will be hosting a debate for the crowded 2026 Democratic Gubernatorial election.
The debate will be broadcast statewide by WISN on July 28th and hosted by Marquette campus, just two weeks before the August 11th primary. The debate will feature seven candidates that are seeking the Democratic nomination: Mandela Barnes, Joel Brennan, David Crowly, Francesca Hong, Missy Hughes, Sara Rodrigues and Kelda Roys. (RELATED: Trump to Visit Chippewa County for Rural Policy Stop)
The Democratic nomination has been crowded for months as the GOP base has consolidated around U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany. For the Democrats, there are multiple bases that have caused splintering within the party, causing a lack of significant fundraising behind a particular candidate. A Marquette Law Poll has shown that Wisconsin voters are still undecided on which candidate they would support for governor, with many candidates unknown to some voters.
Barry Burden, a political scientist at UW-Madison says this is a critical turning point in the election for the Democrats. “Sometimes that works to generate kind of enthusiasm for your campaign,” Burden said. “But it can also be harmful in a general election, if that ends up tarring the candidate as being out of step or too extreme.” However, some candidates have already stepped over the “too extreme” line.
Candidates, such as Francesca Hong, have built a reputation of being vocal about their progressive stances. Hong, called herself the “wild card” of the race, becoming one of the few socialist members of the Wisconsin legislature. Hong’s strong left leaning stance has led to comments about “abolishing police,” despite other progressive politicians across the nation walking back their comments.
Hong has also criticised the use of prisons, talking about her “perfect world would be a world without prisons.” She was criticised by Democratic candidate and State Senator Kela Roys, who said that criminal justice reform must still focus on “actual public safety” in the real world. (RELATED: Brewers Unveil Exclusive Truss Club at American Family Field)
One of the other leaders in the polls is former senate candidate Mandela Barnes, who lost in the 2022 Senate Race to Ron Johnson. Tom Tiffany has labeled Barnes as a “far-left extremist,” claiming that Barnes also supports the reduction of police, cash bail, driver’s licenses and in-state tuition for non-citizens, and climate policies such as the Green New Deal.
