The extraordinary series of events has transformed Wisconsin’s Aug. 11 primary into more than a race for governor. It has become a proxy war between the Democratic establishment and the burgeoning socialist surge, with implications that stretch well beyond Wisconsin.

After President Donald Trump carried the battleground state in 2024, Democrats see Wisconsin as one of their best opportunities to reclaim unified control of state government for the first time since 2010 by holding the governor’s office, winning both legislative chambers, and maintaining their majority on the state Supreme Court. The race has also become one of the first major tests of whether a socialist can win a statewide nomination in a presidential battleground rather than a deep-blue district or city.

“The party thinks this is a very winnable race in general,” Barry Burden, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told the Washington Examiner. “The environment is so good for them nationally that this is a real opportunity to pick up not just the governor’s office, but also winning the state legislature.”

“So having strong performance at the top of the ticket could let them have a trifecta for the first time since 2010, and they don’t want to blow it.”

Burden said Evers’ endorsement was an effort to “reset the race around a more traditional candidate,” reflecting concerns among Democratic leaders that Hong’s socialist label could become a liability in the general election.

“It does reflect some worry that her positions, in particular, might be unpalatable or might be material that Republicans could use against Democrats, fairly or unfairly, in the general election,” Burden said. “Insiders would like to run a more conventional ticket.”

A new Marquette Law School Poll released Wednesday underscored why Democratic leaders moved so aggressively. Conducted before Crowley re-entered the race, the survey found Hong leading the Democratic primary with 26%, followed by former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes at 15%, while 46% of Democratic primary voters remained undecided. Although the poll does not capture any effect from Crowley’s return or Evers’s endorsement, it illustrates how Hong had become the candidate to beat while leaving a substantial share of the electorate still up for grabs.

The survey also highlighted a challenge for Democratic leaders trying to stop Hong’s rise. More than half of Democratic voters said they viewed democratic socialists favorably, while only about one in 10 viewed them unfavorably. Among very liberal Democrats, favorability climbed to 82%, suggesting Hong’s ideological label may resonate far more with the Democratic primary electorate than with the party establishment.

Hong brushed aside Evers’ endorsement, arguing the race remains in voters’ hands.

“I welcome David Crowley back into the race, and I look forward to the perspective he’ll bring as we each make our case to Wisconsinites over the next three weeks,” Hong said in a statement provided to the Washington Examiner. “Competition is good for democracy, and voters deserve a substantive debate about the future of our state.”

“Gov. Evers has made his preference clear, and I respect his decision. But the real power belongs to Wisconsin voters, and they have made their preference clear, too,” she continued. “We are the leading campaign because people are ready for bold, working-class leadership that meets the urgency of this moment.”

Anthony Chergosky, an associate professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, said Evers’ endorsement immediately strengthened Crowley’s candidacy but is unlikely to reshape the race on its own.

“The Evers endorsement gave Crowley instant credibility and a boost to his chances that he never had the first time he was in the race,” Chergosky told the Washington Examiner. “But I don’t think, on its own, the Evers endorsement is going to be enough. It’s going to take more endorsements, more money, a sustained statewide advertising campaign, and undecided voters rallying behind him.”

Crowley is also working against the clock. Absentee voting has already begun, prompting the Democratic Party of Wisconsin to ask the Wisconsin Elections Commission to allow voters to spoil ballots they cast before Rodriguez suspended her campaign and Crowley re-entered the race. The party argues voters should have an opportunity to recast ballots now that the field has dramatically changed.

Burden said Evers’ endorsement could nonetheless help by signaling to undecided Democrats which candidate establishment leaders believe offers the party its best chance in November.

“Someone who’s so central to the party has issued a message,” Burden said. “Someone who’s not a candidate in the race is saying this is the person we have to rally around, and I think that will carry some weight.”

For Chergosky, the broader significance of the race lies in what it could mean for the Democratic Party nationally.

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“It would be a test of the DSA’s viability unlike any that we’ve seen before,” he said. “It’s one thing for these DSA-affiliated candidates to win primary elections in deep-blue congressional districts. It’s a completely different matter for a DSA-aligned candidate to potentially become the Democratic Party nominee in a purple state.”

With Democrats eyeing their best opportunity in years to reclaim unified control of Wisconsin government, the Aug. 11 primary could offer the clearest indication yet of whether the party’s progressive wing can translate its momentum into statewide success in a presidential battleground.