Wisconsin's Quiet Primary

Francesca Hong's surge in the Wisconsin Democratic primary for governor has been met with surprisingly little criticism from her rivals. In fact, very few attacks have come directly from her Democratic opponents, which may be one reason she has built a double-digit lead in the polls. Hong has faced some criticism from outside groups, including a TV ad from a group backing her main rival, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. However, this is the first broadcast ad from a Democratic-aligned group attacking Hong all primary season. Crowley's campaign and allied outside groups have spent $4 million on ads, while Hong and groups supporting her have spent less than a half-million dollars. This lack of advertising fireworks is unusual for a primary election.

On the campaign trail, Crowley and his supporters have taken some shots at Hong's controversial positions on social media, but overall, the tone has been relatively civil. In contrast, the last progressive-versus-establishment duel in a battleground state, Michigan's Democratic Senate primary, was marked by tens of millions of dollars in negative ads. Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, an unlikely bipartisan pairing between Sens. John Fetterman and Dave McCormick has raised eyebrows on both sides of the aisle. The two have promoted several initiatives together, but their relationship has also sparked criticism from Democrats, who worry that Fetterman may be drifting away from the party.