Daniel Nichanian is the founder and editor-in-chief of “Bolts Magazine.” His writing has appeared in “The Atlantic,” “The New York Times Political New York Magazine,” and more. Bolts covers the nuts and bolts of power and political change from the local on up. They report on the local elections and obscure institutions that greatly shape public policies, but are often overlooked in the United States and the grassroots movements that surround them.
Nichanian and Bolts provide the best election guides for anyone looking to understand clearly and simply what the races are and what they mean. He joined John and Jim on election day to map out what he is seeing.
According to Nichanian, the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor has emerged as one of the most closely watched contests of election day, serving as a litmus test for ongoing tensions between the party’s left-leaning and centrist factions. Francesca Hong, a left-wing state lawmaker, has positioned herself as the front-runner in polling, though the path to nomination remains far from certain.
“There’s elections in six states that we’re tracking today, so there’s a lot happening,” said Nichanian. The race gained additional complexity when two former front-runners — the current lieutenant governor Mandela Barnes and former lieutenant governor Sarah Rodriguez — withdrew from contention in the weeks leading up to the primary.
The situation created unprecedented challenges for voters. Early voting had already commenced before the withdrawals occurred, leaving many ballots cast for candidates no longer actively competing. “Early voting had started by the time anyone dropped out. So people had already locked in their vote for either Sarah Rodriguez or Mandela Barnes, who have now dropped out. At the time where David Crowley was not even in the race,” Nichanian explained.
A state supreme court ruling blocked efforts to allow affected voters to cast new ballots, meaning those votes effectively remain counted despite the candidates’ departures from the race. This procedural complication adds another layer of uncertainty to what was already described as a chaotic nomination process.
David Crowley has emerged as Hong’s primary rival in the contest, creating what observers view as a clear ideological matchup within the Democratic Party. The outcome carries implications beyond Wisconsin, as it represents another measure of how progressive candidates fare in Midwestern swing states ahead of November’s general elections.
Socialist Caucus at Wisconsin State Legislature
Beyond the governor’s race, Wisconsin’s state legislative contests offer important indicators for the organizational strength of left-wing candidates in the Midwest. Four members comprise the Socialist Caucus in the Wisconsin Assembly, including Hong, and several face competitive races of their own on election day.
“Two of the four people in the Socialist Caucus are running unopposed. Then another member of the Socialist Caucus is facing a primary from his right,” Nichanian noted. Meanwhile, the DSA has endorsed a candidate for Hong’s previously occupied seat, raising questions about whether progressives can maintain their bench of candidates capable of eventually mounting statewide campaigns.
This infrastructure development matters significantly. Rather than isolated candidacies, the presence of organized left-wing lawmakers creates pathways for more ambitious runs at higher office. The Wisconsin races therefore serve as both immediate electoral tests and long-term measurements of movement building capacity.
Trump Endorsements Face Backlash in Wisconsin Republican Primary
On the Republican side, the Seventh District House race has drawn attention for controversy surrounding President Donald Trump’s endorsement choice. Trump backed the son-in-law of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy — a 26-year-old candidate unfamiliar to many local Republicans — sparking criticism within the party ranks.
Local GOP members expressed frustration over what they perceived as family connections driving endorsement decisions rather than traditional criteria. While Trump’s backing typically proves decisive in Republican primaries, this race presents potential exceptions that could signal shifting dynamics.
The Wisconsin contest follows a pattern seen elsewhere in the Midwest. Just one week prior in Michigan, Trump’s preferred candidate lost a swing district primary to an opponent who had withdrawn from the race a month earlier.
“That was an exception a week ago in Michigan. In a swing district, no less Republicans were hoping to contest a district there with Trump endorsed someone named Amir Hassan and someone named Tom Smith who had dropped out a month ago and had not done any campaigning won the election,” Nichanian recalled.
Minnesota Races Feature Election Deniers and Prosecutorial Debates
In Minnesota, the Republican gubernatorial primary includes Michael Lindell, former CEO of MyPillow and a prominent election denier who has used his business wealth to fund right-wing election conspiracy advocates since the 2020 presidential election. Despite reporting indicating he maintains voter registration in Texas, Lindell is seeking the Republican nomination for Minnesota governor.
“He wants to be the Republican nominee for governor in Minnesota. There was actually reporting in the Star Tribune that he’s registered to vote in Texas, but he is running for governor of Minnesota. So he’s not necessarily going to be the nominee, so we will see what happens,” Nichanian said.
On the Democratic side, the U.S. Senate race replaces outgoing Senator Tina Smith and pits progressive Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan against House Representative Angie Craig, who occupies the centrist, and at Republican positions. While the contest lacks the volatility of Wisconsin’s governor primary, the outcome will influence November’s general election landscape in a crucial battleground state.
Hennepin County’s prosecutor race presents another consequential contest, pitting candidates with divergent views on progressive prosecution strategies. The outgoing prosecutor, Mary Moriarty, served one term, and successors differ sharply on fundamental questions regarding incarceration reduction and sentencing reform. Given Minneapolis’s role in broader conversations about local prosecution of ICE agents, this race extends beyond conventional criminal justice policy.
Progressive Movement Builds Beyond Coastal Enclaves
Discussion also addressed whether Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) backed candidates represent viable paths to power in Midwestern states, challenging the perception that socialist politics remain primarily coastal phenomena. Nichanian emphasized the importance of distinguishing between various progressive wings within the Democratic coalition.
“Not everyone is certainly a DSA member. Not everyone self-identified as a socialist. So people often put Michigan and Wisconsin in the same breath here, but Francesca Hong and Abdul El Sayed are very different. They have very different allies as well in terms of who has endorsed them, who’s supporting them,” he explained.
Last week’s Michigan elections saw DSA-endorsed candidates achieve victories at the state legislative level, continuing a trend observed in multiple jurisdictions. However, the Wisconsin and Minnesota contests represent new territory, testing progressive candidates in governor and Senate races across swing states.
What happens in these primaries will matter significantly for November’s general elections. As Nichanian concluded, “Whether or not they’re in the Midwest, I think that is not something we have tested or seen much. So certainly what happens in November will be important.”
Complete election guides breaking down every contest in accessible format are available at https://boltsmag.com by selecting August elections from the site’s main menu.
