本周美国州级初选中，温和派候选人在共和党和民主党内双双击败极端派对手。[1]明尼苏达州共和党州长初选里，州众议院议长Lisa Demuth击败了得到特朗普背书的Mike Lindell。[1]与此同时，威斯康星州民主党州长初选中，David Crowley以微弱优势战胜自称民主社会主义者的Francesca Hong。[1][3]
Lindell在选举后拒绝承认失败，声称发现了投票中的"异常"。[1]Lindell此前与Dominion公司在2024年6月达成13亿美元诋毁诉讼和解。[1]在威斯康星州，Crowley以数千票的微弱差距战胜原本民调领先的Hong，这场竞争凸显了民主党内近期进步派胜利浪潮的局限性。[3]
在明尼苏达州，共和党还选出前体育播报员Michele Tafoya赢得参议院提名。[2]共和党试图以数十人因盗取数亿美元社会救济金被定罪的欺诈案为突破口，攻击民主党长期执政的结果。[2]但共和党面临特朗普在该州不受欢迎和国家经济困境等全国性逆风。[2]该州20年来尚无共和党人赢得过全州性竞选。[2]
American voters demonstrated a preference for moderate candidates in recent gubernatorial primaries, dealing setbacks to more ideologically extreme contenders from both major parties. In Minnesota's Republican primary, Mike Lindell, a Trump-endorsed candidate, lost his bid for the party's gubernatorial nomination to Lisa Demuth, the state House speaker [1]. Meanwhile, in Wisconsin's Democratic primary, Francesca Hong, a self-described democratic socialist, fell short of winning her party's gubernatorial nomination, losing by a narrow margin of several thousand votes to David Crowley [3]. These results suggest that voters in these contests opted for establishment-backed alternatives [1][3].
The primary outcomes underscore deeper political dynamics within each party. On the Republican side, Trump's endorsement proved insufficient to propel Lindell to victory [1]. Following his defeat, Lindell declined to acknowledge the loss and claimed to have identified "anomalies" in voting [1]. The Minnesota race also highlighted Republican efforts to capitalize on a major fraud scandal affecting the state; dozens of individuals have been convicted of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars in social welfare funds intended for food, shelter, medical care, and childcare [2]. For Democrats, the Wisconsin result reflected tensions between the party's progressive and establishment factions, particularly as the party seeks unity heading into the general election [3].