How the primaries unfolded
• Wisconsin: Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley will win the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin governor, CNN projects, defeating democratic socialist state Assemblymember Francesca Hong in the latest test of the direction of the party ahead of the November midterm elections. Crowley will now face Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany in November as voters in the swing state select a successor to outgoing Gov. Tony Evers.
• Minnesota: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan will win the Democratic nomination for US Senate, CNN projects, defeating a centrist in a race that served as the latest proxy fight over the party’s post-2024 direction. In the gubernatorial primary, Sen. Amy Klobuchar easily captured the Democratic nomination and will face Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, who defeated MyPillow founder Mike Lindell.
• South Carolina: Sen. Darline Graham, who was appointed to fill the seat after the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, has qualified for the August 25 runoff to compete for a full term in the Senate. CNN projects she will face Rep. Ralph Norman in the runoff.
Our live coverage has now ended
See here for the takeaways from all of Tuesday’s primaries.
David Crowley will win Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, CNN projects
David Crowley, a Milwaukee County executive, will win the Democratic nomination for governor in Wisconsin, CNN’s Decision Desk projects.
Crowley defeated Francesca Hong, a 37-year-old state assemblywoman and democratic socialist who sought to ride the momentum of recent progressive victories in Michigan, New York and Colorado.
The chaotic race saw the implosion of two top Democratic rivals’ campaigns — Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez exiting amid a campaign finance scandal, and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes dropping out in the final weeks. Crowley had dropped out in early July but as the field appeared to clear around Hong, he reactivated his campaign as a moderate alternative.
Hong’s stumbles blunted her momentum. She faced blowback over old social media posts in which she criticized the Thanksgiving holiday — failing to quiet the controversy in an uneven CNN interview, and later saying that she was joking. But other examples of far-left rhetoric and her affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America fueled electability concerns.
Crowley, meanwhile, benefited as the Democratic establishment coalesced to oppose Hong. He won the endorsement of outgoing Gov. Tony Evers late last month, and saw more than $3 million in outside spending support.
Their matchup exposed ideological divides wracking the Democratic Party across primaries this season. And Crowley advances to a high-stakes general election in a top battleground state, where each of the last three open-seat gubernatorial contests has flipped party control.
Milwaukee votes are in
After a delay, Milwaukee just reported nearly 25,000 votes, the largest batch of votes that was still outstanding.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley won about 39% of the votes, netting about 1,200 votes over state Assemblymember Francesca Hong.
Crowley won't address supporters until race is projected
David Crowley will not address his supporters until Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary is projected, aides said, as supporters are sent home from his election night party in Milwaukee.
“We’re still waiting for all the results to come in,” a campaign aide says. “We feel optimistic, but it’s not over until the votes are counted.”
Crowley’s campaign – and anyone still watching the race in the early-morning hours – is waiting for the batch of absentee votes in Milwaukee to be counted. He is likely to address supporters on Wednesday.
Crowley campaign is waiting a while longer tonight
An aide to gubernatorial candidate David Crowley says Rep. Gwen Moore, who endorsed him, addressed supporters in Milwaukee and said the campaign intends to wait a while longer tonight. There are no imminent plans for Crowley to speak as they wait.
Crowley leads Francesca Hong by about 3,000 votes. The counting of at least 28,000 ballots from Milwaukee County is delayed for perhaps an hour or longer due to an error with uploading ballot results onto flash drives.
The counting of at least 28,000 Milwaukee absentee ballots is delayed
The reporting of at least 28,000 absentee ballots in Milwaukee could be delayed by at least an hour, according to the Associated Press.
Milwaukee Election Commission Director Paulina Gutierrez said audit logs instead of ballot results were uploaded onto flash drives, according to reports from the AP.
Those ballots could be the difference in the razor-thin Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley currently leads state Assemblymember Francesca Hong by about 3,000 votes.
We're still waiting for Wisconsin. But here’s an update on recent races CNN has made projections
It’s 1:20 a.m. ET Wednesday we are still waiting on the final results from the hotly contested Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary.
But here is a quick recap of the recent contests for which CNN’s Decision Desk has made projections:
In Minnesota
- Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan will win the Democratic nomination for US Senate. Defeated centrist Rep. Angie Craig said she called the lieutenant governor and congratulated her, offering “my full and complete support going forward.” Flanagan would be a rare Native American senator if she wins in November.
- State House Speaker Lisa Demuth will win the Republican nomination for governor, defeating MyPillow founder Mike Lindell and Kendall Qualls, an Army veteran and former health care executive. She now faces an uphill battle in the fall race against Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who ran virtually unopposed for the Democratic nomination
In Vermont
- Economist Amanda Janoo will win the Democratic nomination in the gubernatorial primary. She faces an uphill battle in November, going against a popular incumbent, Republican Gov. Phil Scott.
Read about projections made by CNN’s Decision Desk earlier Tuesday.
CNN’s Morgan Leason, Aaron Blake and David Wright contributed to this report.
House Democrats keep losing their bids for higher office
The United States House of Representatives has historically been a stepping stone to higher office for ambitious politicians. But in Democratic primaries this year, amid widespread anti-establishment backlash, it hasn’t offered much of a lift.
Minnesota congresswoman Angie Craig is just the latest member of the House of Representatives to stumble in her bid for a promotion, losing the Democratic US Senate primary to Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.
Earlier this month, Rep. Haley Stevens also lost a Democratic US Senate primary in Michigan, falling to progressive rival Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official, in a contest that featured many of the same ideological divides on display in Minnesota.
Meanwhile, in the Democratic US Senate primary in Illinois in March, a pair of US Representatives, Robin Kelly and Raja Krishnamoorthi, both fell to Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. Earlier the same month in Texas, Rep. Jasmine Crockett was defeated by state Rep. James Talarico in the race for that state’s Democratic US Senate nomination.
Some House members still have a chance to continue climbing the ladder: Rep. Chris Pappas in New Hampshire is favored to capture the Democratic US Senate nomination in his state; Rep. Seth Moulton will test the case against Sen. Ed Markey in Massachusetts; and former Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola is looking to oust GOP incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska.
But after years in the minority, Democratic House members have found little to run on from their time in Washington.
Hong says she feels confident as votes are still being counted
State Assemblymember Francesca Hong is in a tight Democratic primary in Wisconsin’s gubernatorial race, but she said “we are ready to keep fighting” as votes are still being tallied.
“I feel confident, but more importantly, I am so deeply, deeply grateful,” she said.
Hong, a democratic socialist, said “we are here tonight” because people came together “to demand something new and something better.”
The winner between Hong and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley will face Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, in November, CNN projected.
Hong said no matter who wins the primary, we are going to “continue to fight for each other.”
This post has been updated with additional comments from Hong.
CNN's Jeff Zeleny on where things stand in Wisconsin's Democratic primary for governor
With state Assemblymember Francesca Hong and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley running neck and neck in the Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor, CNN’s Jeff Zeleny has the latest on what votes are still outstanding and the mood from inside Hong’s election night headquarters.
With the primary over, national Democrats aren't ignoring Minnesota
National Democrats are not taking any chances with the Senate race in Minnesota, a state that President Donald Trump lost by 4 percentage points in 2024.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, were quick to unite behind Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan after she won a spirited primary against Rep. Angie Craig.
They also took shots at the Republican nominee, former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya.
The Cook Political Report has classified the open-seat Senate race as “Leans Democrat.” But national Republicans are upbeat about their ability to compete after their preferred candidate, Tafoya, prevailed in her primary and Flanagan, who ran to the left of Craig, won her nominating contest.
He also criticized Flanagan, calling her “one of the most radical” Senate candidates in the country.
It's past midnight. Here's where the Wisconsin Democratic primary for governor stands
With about 87% of the vote reported, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has a 0.5 percentage point lead over democratic socialist state Assemblymember Francesca Hong in the critical Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor.
Like in most tight Wisconsin races, the race could come down to mail votes in the city of Milwaukee.
In the 2024 presidential election, it was the reporting of those votes, shortly before 5:30 a.m. ET Wednesday morning, that allowed CNN to call the state and the presidency for Donald Trump.
But if you’re inclined toward optimism — in two recent state Supreme Court races, the county has finished reporting around 1 a.m. ET.
Flanagan would be a rare Native American senator if she wins in November
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan’s win in the Minnesota Democratic Senate primary means that, come 2027, we could see Native American membership restored to the upper chamber.
There have been only four Native American senators, with the most recent being Republican Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma. But he left the Senate in March to become secretary of Homeland Security.
Only one other Native American has served since the 1920s: former Colorado Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, who left the Senate in 2005.
Flanagan is of Ojibwe descent and a member of the White Earth Band. She spent years as an activist for Native American causes and often talks about her Ojibwe name, Gizhiiwewidamookwe, which means “speaks in a loud and clear voice woman.”
Flanagan will likely be favored heading into the fall race to succeed the outgoing Democratic Sen. Tina Smith. Minnesota hasn’t elected a Republican senator since 2002.
Democrats are also running a Native American candidate in Alaska, former Rep. Mary Peltola, though she should have a more difficult race than Flanagan.
CNN’s David Wright contributed to this post, which was updated to note Peltola’s candidacy in Alaska.
Flanagan says she's "honored and humbled" to win Minnesota Democratic Senate primary
Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan thanked voters for making her the projected Democratic nominee for Senate.
Flanagan, a progressive, won the state party’s endorsement at the convention in May and had the support of Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. She defeated more moderate candidate, Rep. Angie Craig.
Flanagan said she called Craig and said the lawmaker “assured me that she is in this fight with us.”
She also criticized her opponent in November, Republican Michele Tafoya, saying that she is a “loyal soldier” to President Donald Trump and does not understand the struggles people are experiencing in their lives.
As a senator, Flanagan said she would fight for more affordable housing and Medicare for All. She also said “we need to rip ICE a part and stop them from terrorizing our communities.” Minnesota was a target of the Trump administration immigration crackdown that turned deadly, when immigration agents killed two people earlier this year.
Earlier in a post on X, Flanagan said she was “truly honored and humbled” to be the nominee. “Thank you, Minnesota – for everything,” the post said.
This post has been updated with more comments from Flanagan.
Rep. Angie Craig urges her supporters to vote for Peggy Flanagan in November election
Rep. Angie Craig, who lost her Minnesota Senate Democratic primary to Peggy Flanagan, said she called the lieutenant governor and congratulated her, offering “my full and complete support going forward.”
Craig also urged her supporters to vote for Flanagan in November.
Despite tonight’s result, Craig said her “heart is full of gratitude.” She thanked her family, campaign staffers and supporters.
CNN’s Decision Desk has projected that Tafoya, the former NFL sideline reporter, will win the GOP Senate nomination in Minnesota after a primary that split national and local Republicans.
This post has been updated with additional comments from Craig’s speech.
Crowd cheers as Hong takes narrow lead for the first time, briefly
The crowd at Francesca Hong’s campaign party roared as their candidate crept into the lead for the first time all night in her too-early-to-call race against David Crowley.
The upbeat ballad, “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” by Shania Twain, filled the room in the Atwood Music Hall in Madison when the results were shown on the screen showing Hong narrowly edging Crowley as more votes from Dane County were counted.
Yet the lead was short lived, with Crowley quickly returning to a sliver of a lead.
The atmosphere is still one of a celebration, but whether it’s a victory party is very much an open question that may not be answered tonight.
As of 11:35 p.m. ET, the candidates were in a virtual tie with 84% of the vote counted.
Demuth will defeat Trump-backed Lindell in GOP gubernatorial primary in Minnesota, CNN projects
State House Speaker Lisa Demuth will win the Republican nomination for governor in Minnesota, CNN’s Decision Desk projects.
Demuth defeated MyPillow founder Mike Lindell and Kendall Qualls, an Army veteran and former health care executive, in a raucous primary fight that was animated by debates over how to respond to high-profile cases of fraud across state safety-net programs, each candidate promising to slash budgets and use savings to cut taxes.
Lindell was endorsed by President Donald Trump weeks after Qualls won the state GOP’s endorsement at a historically decisive party convention. Unable to coalesce around a single candidate, the divided field put the question to voters, where Demuth prevailed, pressing her experience and legislative accomplishments.
As state House Speaker, Demuth is the top elected Republican in the state and was the first Black person and first female Republican to hold the role.
She now faces an uphill battle in the fall race against Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who ran virtually unopposed for the Democratic nomination, and brings a dominant electoral track record established across four terms in statewide office.
Progressive Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan to win Democratic Senate primary in Minnesota, CNN projects
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan will win the Democratic nomination for US Senate in Minnesota, CNN’s Decision Desk projects.
Flanagan defeated centrist Rep. Angie Craig in a race that served as the latest proxy fight over the party’s post-2024 direction, exposing divides between moderate and progressive contingents.
A White Earth Nation citizen who would be the first Native American woman elected to the Senate, Flanagan won the Democratic-Farmer-Labor endorsement and held it against roughly $16 million in outside spending backing Craig.
Endorsed by progressive Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, she criticized Craig’s longtime financial support from AIPAC, although the congresswoman says she is not accepting the pro-Israel group’s money for her Senate campaign.
Flanagan also took aim at Craig’s vote for the Laken Riley Act, which requires the detention of undocumented migrants charged with certain crimes and which Craig now says she regrets supporting.
Craig, who skipped the endorsing convention, ran on four straight wins in a battleground House district and highlighted the high-profile fraud cases across state safety-net programs that occurred during Flanagan’s tenure as lieutenant governor.
Flanagan will likely be favored heading into the fall race to succeed the outgoing Democratic Sen. Tina Smith. Minnesota hasn’t elected a Republican senator since 2002.
Tiffany vows to turn governorship red as he awaits general election opponent
Rep. Tom Tiffany vowed to “turn the governorship red” as the Wisconsin congressman awaits his general election opponent in the state’s closely watched gubernatorial race.
With the crowd replying “you betcha” to a slew of campaign promises, Tiffany made his pitch to Wisconsinites from across the political spectrum.
“Whatever your political label — Republican, independent, politically homeless or a Democrat — there’s a place for you in the commonsense movement. If you want your children and grandchildren to grow up in the land of opportunity, join us,” Tiffany said.
“If we stand together, work together and believe in the people of this great state, there is nothing we cannot accomplish,” he added.
Evers pressed to block Hong
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers initially planned to stay out of the primary to replace him.
But amid fears that Francesca Hong, a 37-year old democratic socialist state legislator, was poised to capture the gubernatorial nomination, endangering the party’s general election chances, the mild-mannered outgoing governor intervened aggressively in the final weeks of the race.
Unwilling to risk the eight years of Democratic governance he oversaw in the closely divided battleground state, Evers endorsed Hong’s primary rival, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, with less than a month to go. He hit the trail for Crowley, and appeared in a TV ad boosting his campaign.
And in interviews ahead of the vote, Evers exuded confidence. “She’s a Democrat, of course we’ll be helpful,” he said, asked by local news whether he would support Hong as the nominee. “But that’s not going to happen.”
