Wisconsin voters begin casting ballots at the polls in chaotic Democratic governor’s race

Wisconsin voters begin casting ballots at the polls in chaotic Democratic governor’s race 1 of 4 | Absentee ballots during a count at the Wisconsin Center, Nov. 8, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File) 2 of 4 | Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong talks with a Milwaukee resident during “We Outside” Annual Community Event at Metcalfe Park Rising, Friday, July 24, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) 3 of 4 | Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley addresses a crowd, March 29, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Andy Manis, File) 4 of 4 | Wisconsin Democratic candidate for governor Mandela Barnes speaks at a campaign stop on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer) 1 of 4 | Absentee ballots during a count at the Wisconsin Center, Nov. 8, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File) 1 of 4 Absentee ballots during a count at the Wisconsin Center, Nov. 8, 2022, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 2 of 4 | Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong talks with a Milwaukee resident during “We Outside” Annual Community Event at Metcalfe Park Rising, Friday, July 24, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) 2 of 4 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong talks with a Milwaukee resident during “We Outside” Annual Community Event at Metcalfe Park Rising, Friday, July 24, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 3 of 4 | Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley addresses a crowd, March 29, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Andy Manis, File) 3 of 4 Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley addresses a crowd, March 29, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Andy Manis, File) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 4 of 4 | Wisconsin Democratic candidate for governor Mandela Barnes speaks at a campaign stop on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer) 4 of 4 Wisconsin Democratic candidate for governor Mandela Barnes speaks at a campaign stop on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Madison, Wis. (AP) — Early in-person voting begins Tuesday in swing state Wisconsin’s chaotic Democratic primary for governor, with a democratic socialist trying to overcome the incumbent governor’s choice to replace him. Democrats are hoping to retain control of the governor’s office and flip both chambers of the Legislature to earn full control of Wisconsin state government for the first time since 2010. But they have failed to coalesce around one candidate for the top job, spurring fears that they could miss an opportunity to win in November. Early in-person voting begins as Democrats meet for only debateThe five Democratic candidates are scheduled to meet for their only debate Tuesday night ahead of the Aug. 11 primary.Insurgent democratic socialist Francesca Hong has garnered strong support among the most liberal wing of the party. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who narrowly lost a 2022 U.S. Senate race, is hoping that voters in his hometown of Milwaukee help him overcome Hong, whose base is in Madison. Those two cities hold the largest number of Democratic voters in Wisconsin. Also in the race is Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who is running with the endorsement of Gov. Tony Evers. Crowley had dropped out of the race on July 8, but got back in on July 17, the day after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropped out amid a campaign finance scandal.Both Crowley and Barnes are trying to become Wisconsin’s first Black governor.The winner of the Democratic primary will advance to take on Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November. Tiffany, who is running with the backing of President Donald Trump in a state Trump won in 2016 and 2024, faces only nominal opposition in the primary. 2 MIN READ 4 MIN READ 4 MIN READ Judge hearing arguments over canceling already-filed absentee ballotsAnd hours after polls open for early voting, a judge was scheduled to hear arguments in a Democratic lawsuit seeking to allow voters who already returned their ballots to cancel those and cast a new one. As of Monday, more than 100,000 ballots had already been returned by mail.The lawsuit was filed last week with support from the Wisconsin Democratic Party. They are seeking an order from a judge to immediately allow for already-cast ballots to be canceled, a rarely used practice known as ballot spoiling. Democrats argue it’s necessary given that Rodriguez and former state economic director Missy Hughes ended their campaigns, and Crowley got back in the race, after tens of thousands of ballots had already been returned.Hughes and Rodriguez’s names remain on the ballot. In-person absentee voting, which began Tuesday, runs through Aug. 9. All absentee ballots must be received by the time polls close on election day Aug. 11 in order to be counted.___Mayes-Osterman is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. She reported for this story from Milwaukee. Bauer is the AP’s Statehouse reporter covering politics and state government in Madison, Wisconsin. He also writes music reviews.