America’s Most Divided State Loves Its Extremes
Wisconsin politician Francesca Hong is running for governor on a progressive platform, aiming to turn the state into a hub for democratic socialism. The article explores the state's history of political extremes and its current status as a deeply divided battleground.
Why it matters
Provides context on the shifting political landscape of a key US swing state and the rise of progressive candidates in local government.
Wisconsin has never been a bastion of moderation.
Kayla Wolf / AP August 1, 2026, 7 AM ET Share Save W isconsin has been the nation’s most closely divided state for a quarter century. Since 2000, only one presidential candidate—Barack Obama, twice—has carried the state by more than a single percentage point. But despite its status as a battleground, America’s Dairyland has never been a bastion of milquetoast moderation. Wisconsin has produced both a father of progressivism, Robert La Follette, and the red-baiting conservative Joseph McCarthy. More recently, its voters have backed the liberal stalwarts Russ Feingold and Tammy Baldwin as well as the right-wing Republicans Scott Walker and Ron Johnson.
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