Progressives Vs Moderates Showdown In Minnesota And Wisconsin Primaries 

One of the core themes of this year’s primaries has been the clash between establishment Democrats and more progressive candidates from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Tuesday’s primaries in Wisconsin and Minnesota are no different. 

According to AP, Minnesota’s Democratic Senate primary has voters choosing between moderate Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) and the state’s progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. Craig, who represents a purple district, has campaigned on her ability to work across the aisle to get legislation passed. Flanagan has campaigned on standard progressive issues such as universal healthcare and limiting financial support to Israel. The two are running to replace Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.), who has endorsed Flanagan. 

Whoever secures the nomination is favored to win the seat, as Minnesota hasn’t elected a Republican to statewide office since 2006. Polling is close between the two, with Craig holding a narrow two-point lead. 

In Wisconsin, progressive Francesca Hong is currently the front-runner to secure the Democratic nomination in the state’s gubernatorial race. The journey to securing Wisconsin’s Democratic nomination for governor has been a winding one. 

Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropped out of the race earlier this summer over a campaign finance scandal. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley previously dropped out of the race but reentered it only 10 days after Rodriguez dropped out. Soon after, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes also dropped out of the race amid a report that Wisconsin’s arm of the Democratic Party investigated him for an inappropriate sexual relationship. 

Despite both candidates dropping out, they are still on the ballot, and absentee votes cast for them cannot be changed. The race now comes down between Hong and Crowley, who has the endorsement of Wisconsin’s Gov. Tony Evers. Evers and establishment Democrats have argued that Crowley is the best option to beat Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is favored to win the Republican nomination. Tiffany is a staunch ally of President Donald Trump and has received the president’s endorsement. 

I find the concerns of the establishment Democrats to be a bit odd. The economy is arguably a bigger focal point of this election than it was in 2024, given how much it has worsened under Trump’s leadership. DSA candidates have been hammering home a message focused on lowering costs, while Republicans have been pitching the same old. Republicans can try to paint these candidates as “extreme,” but Trump was extreme, and that guy managed to win two elections. 

Just anecdotally speaking, I live in Arizona and work in an office with a bunch of people who would’ve traditionally considered themselves center-left. Over the last two years, I’ve noticed that their political leanings are getting further left as things get worse under Trump. It’s not that people are getting more extreme;  the problems we’re facing are just getting that much larger. 

At the end of the day, whether it’s disaffected white folks feeling seen by Trump, or left-leaning folks shockingly responding to left-wing policies, people just want to feel like their issues are actually being heard by the people who have the power to do something about them. Maybe if establishment Democrats spent more time listening to their base instead of lecturing them like children, they wouldn’t be at an existential crossroads. But hey, who needs self-reflection when you’re rolling in that AIPAC money? 

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