Polls had democratic socialist Francesca Hong<\/b> up big in the race to be Democrats\u2019 gubernatorial nominee in Wisconsin. But, wow, were those polls wrong.<\/p>\n
David Crowley<\/b>, the top elected official in Milwaukee County, won the primary early this morning. Crowley\u2019s win was a clear upset and gave the Democratic establishment a surprise win over the party\u2019s surging left flank.<\/p>\n
My colleague Patrick Marley<\/b> has more on the race<\/a> from Madison, and you can find the rest of last night\u2019s primary results lower in the newsletter. But Hong\u2019s loss represents a cautionary tale for Democrats\u2019 left \u2014 the state representative spent the final days of the campaign responding to past comments about abolishing the police and canceling Thanksgiving \u2014 and Crowley\u2019s win caps a topsy-turvy race that saw the Democrat drop out of the primary in July, get back into the race with Gov. Tony Evers<\/b>\u2019 endorsement days later and then win the contest early this morning. Just bizarre.<\/p>\n Crowley will now face Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany<\/b> in November.<\/p>\n Read our takeaways here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Will Lawrence<\/b> was bullish when I asked him about where the proliferation of data centers fits into his pitch to oust Republican Rep. Tom Barrett<\/b>.<\/p>\n \u201cI see it as one of the central issues eroding public trust in this district,\u201d Lawrence told me days after becoming the Democratic nominee in the mid-Michigan district around Lansing. \u201cAnd for that reason, it is essential.\u201d<\/p>\n Lawrence is just one of the many candidates nationwide \u2014 Democrats and Republicans \u2014 running on their opposition to data center projects<\/a>, and data centers have gone from an almost entirely anonymous topic to a political issue so potent that candidates are desperate to use them in their campaigns. Communities nationwide are seeking to restrict the growth of data centers, and the opposition cuts across party lines.<\/p>\n \u201cAbove all, it\u2019s about the question of control: Who decides?\u201d Lawrence said of the issues of political power. \u201cAnd people experience this as a very acute example of how our economy has been taken over by these billionaires who are now buying out the entire political process.\u201d<\/p>\n Lawrence\u2019s strategy here is compelling. He is coming off a notably bruising <\/b>primary against former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink <\/b>and former Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam<\/b>, both of whom represented the more establishment wing of the Democratic Party. Now Lawrence, who co-founded the climate policy-focused Sunrise Movement and is a former member of the Democratic Socialists of America, must unite left-wing voters <\/b>while also winning over skeptical Republicans in the district, which President Donald Trump<\/b> narrowly carried in 2024.<\/p>\n Lawrence told us he joined the local data center opposition during the primary and clearly saw their political power. It\u2019s an issue he appears to hope will not only unify his party, but also bring in more right-leaning voters in his district.<\/p>\n That is where his new ad comes in. Lawrence isn\u2019t just talking about the issue with me: He is putting money behind the push, too.<\/p>\n His campaign will begin airing an ad titled \u201cMichigan First<\/a>\u201d centered on a proposed data center project in Mason, Michigan. The proposed data center has faced fervent opposition from local groups<\/a>. And Lawrence\u2019s ad, the first of his general election campaign, attempts to link Barrett to the project.<\/p>\n \u201cCongressman Tom Barrett wants to turn this field into a data center,\u201d Lawrence says in the spot, with an image of the proposed land in Mason. \u201cI\u2019m Will Lawrence, and I\u2019m running for Congress to stop these data centers and put mid-Michigan first.\u201d<\/p>\n The links between the Mason project and Barrett are tenuous, at best. Lawrence\u2019s ad cites Barrett\u2019s vote for the One, Big Beautiful Bill Act, a bill that did help data center interests, and an email from Lawrence\u2019s campaign cited money Barrett has taken from utilities<\/a> and other votes the Republican had taken in Congress.<\/p>\n But Barrett told me that his position on the possible Mason data center is that it should be decided by locals in the area, not a member of Congress.<\/p>\n \u201cMy position is that this has to be decided by the locals. I don\u2019t live in Mason. I live in the county adjacent to that. And I\u2019ve been very clear that we should not be overriding local governments from Washington, D.C.,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we shouldn\u2019t have either bureaucrats or officials from Washington directing or not directing data centers and local communities.\u201d<\/p>\n Barrett was fully aware of the power of data centers as a political issue and, like Lawrence, cited trust when asked why data centers have become so potent.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a low-trust society right now. People don\u2019t trust large institutions,\u201d he said, citing politicians, the media and industry. \u201cPeople have no trust in any of these institutions. So when they tell them this is going to benefit them, they rightfully have a concern about whether or not the information they\u2019re receiving is candid and truthful and everything else.\u201d<\/p>\n Stevie O\u2019Hanlon<\/b>, a spokesperson for Lawrence\u2019s campaign, said \u201ctalk is cheap\u201d when pressed on Barrett\u2019s position on the Mason data center and stood by the spot.<\/p>\n But Lawrence\u2019s attempt to claim Barrett\u2019s support for this specific data center project speaks to the lengths to which candidates will go to attack their opponents on the issue.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s because the polling on data center opposition is stark.<\/p>\n Gallup found earlier this year<\/a> that 7 in 10 Americans oppose data centers being built in their area. Similarly, a Reuters\/Ipsos poll earlier this year found just 1 in 3 Americans approve of the pace at which data centers are being built, with a staggering 77 percent<\/a> telling the pollsters that they are concerned data centers will raise their electricity costs.<\/p> Read more Takeaways from the primaries in South Carolina, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Connecticut<\/a><\/p>\n My colleague Molly Hennessy-Fiske<\/b> recently published a fantastic piece about how opposition to data centers has fired up conservative voters in rural Texas<\/a>, not exactly a bastion for progressive politics.<\/p>\n Trump, however, has firmly positioned Republicans as the pro-data center party. \u201cIf I were governor, I would want data centers so badly,\u201d he told Punchbowl News last week<\/a>, calling opposition to them a \u201cmistake\u201d and arguing that economically \u201cdata centers could be bigger than oil.\u201d While his administration has taken steps to try to protect consumers<\/a> from absorbing the great electrical demands of data centers, Trump has been an unabashed proponent of the projects. But the polling shows this may be one issue where Trump\u2019s Republican base is not willing to follow him.<\/p>\n Barrett declined to take a position on what Trump has said about data centers \u2014 \u201cI don\u2019t take positions on other people\u2019s positions,\u201d he said \u2014 but reiterated that where to site data centers is a local, not federal, issue.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople shouldn\u2019t want Washington, D.C., deciding where to site data centers,\u201d he said. \u201cThe people in the communities have to decide that for themselves.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n What an interesting primary night.<\/p>\n The Republican primary to replace Sen. Lindsey Graham<\/b> is not over yet. Sen. Darline Graham<\/b>, the late senator\u2019s sister, and Rep. Ralph Norman <\/b>will advance to a runoff election<\/a> to become Republican\u2019s Senate nominee in South Carolina. That runoff will be on August 25.<\/p>\n Rep. John Larson <\/b>became the latest aging Democratic incumbent<\/a> to lose a reelection bid this year, with the 78-year-old conceding his primary race to Luke Bronin<\/b>, the former mayor of Hartford. Democrats\u2019 reckoning over their gerontocracy \u2014 spurred by former president Joe Biden<\/b> \u2014 has had a real impact on the party this year. And another Democratic test on age awaits next month in Democrats\u2019 Senate primary in Massachusetts<\/a>.<\/p>\n And Rebecca Cooke<\/b> is Democrats\u2019 nominee in a must-win district for the party in southwestern Wisconsin. She fended off a stouter-than-expected challenge from the left by Emily Berge<\/b>, the former Eau Claire City Council president.<\/p>\n Ohio Capital Journal<\/b>: The Ohio publication found voters restless and eager for accountability<\/a> in Rep. Max Miller<\/b>\u2019s House district. \u201cI can\u2019t believe that they haven\u2019t just kicked his butt out of there,\u201d one voter said.<\/p>\n Michigan Advance<\/b>: Michigan voters will have a chance to cast a ballot on money in politics this November<\/a>. If the proposal passes, some of the state\u2019s biggest political spenders \u2014 namely PACs tied to major health care companies and utilities \u2014 would restrict their political spending.<\/p>\n Nevada Current<\/b>: The Bug and Fred Mountain Fires continue to grow<\/a>, with Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo<\/b> declaring a state of emergency for Washoe County.<\/p>\n You all are very into political podcasts.<\/p>\n Most of the submissions we got were in the political realm \u2014 from The Bulwark with Tim Miller<\/b> to Talking Feds.<\/p>\n I will give you my recommendation first: I have recently been very into Paternal, a podcast about fatherhood by journalist Nick Firchau<\/b>. He books great guests, and since it has been on since 2017, I\u2019ve been making my way through the archives. As the father of two boys \u2014 a one-year-old and a four-year-old \u2014 it\u2019s a great listen.<\/p>\n Nelson Woehrle <\/b>suggested \u201cLunch with Shelley,\u201d an interview podcast that is D.C. focused with Shelley S. Hymes<\/b>.<\/p>\n \u201cInterviews draw on personal experiences of people from politics, diplomacy, media and lobbying. It is so interesting to see beyond the public facade of people we see in the media all the time,\u201d Woehrle wrote.<\/p>\n Jennifer Francis<\/b> suggested \u201cNot a Climate Scientist,\u201d a podcast hosted by Heather Goldstone<\/b> that looks at how climate change is impacting the lives of, well, people who aren\u2019t climate scientists.<\/p>\n \u201cShe speaks with folks affected by climate change in their various walks of life, including a firefighter, urban designer, Navy admiral, doctor, chef, and others,\u201d Francis wrote.<\/p>\n And Sonja Czarnecki<\/b>, a loyal reader and history teacher, asked for a shout-out to her own podcast: \u201cIn Walks A Woman: Women, History, and the Stories that Shaped Us.\u201d<\/p>\n Czarnecki started it after the 2024 election when she texted her friend Vanessa Eicher<\/b> about starting their own podcast. \u201cHow hard can it be?\u201d she asked. The podcast looks at history and literature from a woman\u2019s perspective. I listened to their review of \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d \u2014 and the women of Homer\u2019s great work \u2014 while writing this.<\/p>\n Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs<\/b> (D), facing a tough reelection fight, chose<\/a> former mayor John Giles<\/b>, a lifelong Republican who recently became an independent, to be her running mate. What do you think of this decision? In the era of ultra-partisanship, do more bipartisan pairings like this make sense? Let me and your fellow Early Brief readers know at earlytips@washpost.com<\/a>.<\/p> Read more Pirro, in rare move, convenes special grand jury in Washington<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4386b7c3887da15d594ae11a85b9faf5-1024x634.jpg\")
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