Wisconsin and Minnesota Democrats Pick Nominees in Progressive-vs.-Moderate Primaries

Democratic primary voters in Wisconsin and Minnesota head to the polls Tuesday, August 11, in races that pit progressive candidates against moderates in both states. NPR reported on the primaries Tuesday morning, describing them as the latest test of the party's internal divide between its moderate and progressive wings.

NPR's Leila Fadel interviewed Jessica Taylor of the Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan elections analysis publication, about the battles between moderate and progressive candidates in both states' Democratic primaries. The segment aired as polls opened across the two battleground states. NPR

In Minnesota, the Democratic U.S. Senate primary pits Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan against Rep. Angie Craig for the seat vacated by Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, according to AP. Minnesota's 2026 state primary election day is Tuesday, August 11, per the Minnesota Secretary of State's elections calendar. Voters in the state could cast ballots by mail or in person from June 26 through August 10, and the deadline for advance voter registration was July 21, per the Secretary of State's office.

In Wisconsin, the competitive Democratic primary for governor drew progressive candidates making their final pushes ahead of Tuesday's vote, AP reported. Progressive candidates for Minnesota's U.S. Senate race were likewise in the final stretch of their campaigns.

The August 2026 Democratic primaries in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota collectively serve as a gauge of Democratic voters' frustration with the party establishment, AP reported last month. In Michigan, where the primary was held August 5, former public health official Abdul El-Sayed won the Democratic U.S. Senate primary, narrowly defeating Rep. Haley Stevens, AP reported August 6.

The broader context is a summer-long stretch of Democratic primaries in the Midwest where the party's moderate and progressive wings have competed directly for nominations in competitive races. Think of these primaries as an internal party election: before Democrats face Republicans in November, Democratic voters first choose which flavor of Democrat will represent them on the ballot. Michigan's Senate primary delivered a narrow win for a progressive-aligned candidate over a House incumbent. Wisconsin's gubernatorial primary and Minnesota's Senate primary now test whether that pattern extends further, with results expected Tuesday evening once polls close and ballots are counted.

Minnesota's Secretary of State provides election results through the state's official elections portal. Wisconsin results will be reported through the state's election administration. Tuesday's outcomes will set the Democratic slates for the November general elections in two states that have been central to recent presidential and midterm battleground maps.

The primaries also come at a moment when the Democratic Party's direction is unsettled. Moderate candidates have argued for electability in swing districts and states. Progressive candidates have pressed for a more assertive policy agenda and new leadership. The results in Wisconsin and Minnesota, following Michigan, will give party operatives additional data on which wing is generating the turnout and margins needed to win contested nominations.

Several variables will shape how Tuesday's results are read. Turnout levels in each state will indicate engagement among Democratic base voters. Margins of victory, particularly in Minnesota's Senate primary, will determine whether the winner can claim a clear mandate or faces a divided electorate heading into the general election. In Wisconsin, the gubernatorial nominee will emerge from a field where progressive candidates have competed against more moderate alternatives.

Fadel and Taylor's discussion on NPR touched on the Cook Political Report's assessment of the competitive landscape in both states. The interview focused on how the moderate-versus-progressive dynamic is playing out in races where the Democratic nominee will face a competitive general election in November.