Michigan and Wisconsin Primaries Expose Democratic Party Divisions

Recent Democratic primary contests in Michigan and Wisconsin have exposed deep divisions within the party, raising questions about whether the contentious nominating battles could damage the party's prospects in the November general elections. The closely fought races saw progressive candidates narrowly win in one state and narrowly lose in another, highlighting a struggle between the party's left wing and its moderate establishment.

In Michigan, Abdul ElSayed, a progressive supporter of Medicare for All, narrowly defeated Representative Haley Stevens, a pro-Israel centrist, in the Democratic Senate primary on August 6. ElSayed won with 49 percent of the vote in a multi-candidate field. The victory was a significant but hard-fought win for the progressive movement. In Wisconsin, the dynamic was reversed. David Crowley, the Milwaukee County Executive and a moderate, defeated Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, in the gubernatorial primary on August 12 by a margin of less than one percentage point. Hong had been considered a frontrunner, with some pre-election polls showing her with a double-digit lead.

The outcomes have prompted analysis of polling errors and the challenges...