The primary is over. In a shocking turn, Francesca Hong is out, and the establishment pick, David Crowley, is the Democratic nominee. With the Evers-endorsed establishment pick shutting down the insurgent socialist, momentum is on Crowley’s side, and expect the next few days to be full of stories, polls, and ads to demoralize conservatives who were ready to defeat Hong in November. The left now sees an easier path to a democrat trifecta.
Crowley is a tougher out than Hong would have been. The Milwaukee County executive is essentially running a third-term Tony Evers campaign, with a more conventional Democratic brand and the ability to paper over the left’s excesses in a way a democratic socialist never could. That is exactly why conservatives must be extra motivated.
Americans for Prosperity-Wisconsin is already doing the blocking and tackling that wins elections. AFP-WI has knocked more than 500,000 doors this cycle in support of Tiffany, building the kind of sustained, face-to-face voter contact that decides close races in Wisconsin. The group has made clear it will keep that pace through Election Day with continued canvassing, digital ads, mail and direct outreach.
The LIBRE Initiative is running parallel efforts focused on Latino communities, emphasizing affordability, opportunity and lower taxes — issues that cut across party lines when the conversation is honest. Together, these groups are modeling the disciplined ground game required to beat a Democrat who will try to run as a pragmatic executive while advancing the same high-tax, high-spending agenda that has defined Madison for years.
More conservatives need to get involved. Door-knocking, phone banking, small-dollar donations, and consistent messaging at the local level all still matter. Wisconsin races are decided by margins measured in thousands of votes. Gaining a few more Republicans in each ward will be the difference between winning and losing. Feeling defeated because the socialist lost the primary and the hill is a tougher climb for Tiffany is a gift to Crowley.
Tiffany offers a clear contrast: lower property taxes, energy affordability, school choice, and an end to policies that drive costs higher for working families. Crowley will try to blur those lines while maintaining policy positions adjacent to the party’s socialist base. The only way to stop him is sustained effort from the right.
The 500,000 doors already knocked by AFP are proof the infrastructure exists. The question now is whether the broader conservative movement will match that intensity between now and November. Tiffany can win this race. He will not win it unless conservatives quit dooming on X and knock doors.
