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>> It was just over a year
ago that Governor Tony

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Evers announced he would
not seek a third term in

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office. The number of
candidates seeking to

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replace him as the
Democratic nominee for

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governor eventually surged
to seven. But today there

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are just four left, and
after Tuesday night, the

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party will seek to unite
behind the winner against

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the Republican nominee, Tom
Tiffany.

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>> You know, I think right
now we are truly in a

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movement moment.
>> On a Wednesday night in

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July. There's a packed
house at the headquarters

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of the Democratic Party of
Ozaukee County. It's

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standing room only to hear
from Francesca Hong, the

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frontrunner in the
Democratic primary for

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governor.
>> I may not be the most

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polished candidate. I know
that there are questions

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about executive experience
and leadership.

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>> A democratic socialist,
Hong has served three terms

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in the state Assembly. Not
the typical resume for a

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gubernatorial candidate.
>> I would say one of the

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most powerful messages that
I carry with me in knowing

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that maybe this is time for
a leader like me.

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>> Hong has consistently
polled well ahead of the

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rest of the field, and her
political movement is built

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on bringing new people into
the voting booth.

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>> It's imperative that we
grow a coalition and the

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electorate for Democrats to
win power and maintain

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power. We have to make sure
that our coalition is

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multigenerational,
multi-faith and with

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representing zip codes from
all across the state. It's

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exciting to hear folks have
their plan to vote, and

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it's their first time to
vote.

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>> Democracy can be messy,
and.

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>> David Crowley is now
polling second. Just a few

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weeks after he was out of
the race altogether. He

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dropped out in early July
and endorsed Sara Rodriguez,

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but then got back in after
her campaign blew up a week

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later, this time with the
endorsement of Tony Evers.

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The in and out maneuver is
not recommended for

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candidates, but Crowley
probably got more attention

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than if he was in the race
the whole time.

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>> Hindsight is always 2020,
right? And so, you know,

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trying to, you know, wonder
what would have happened or

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how things would have
unfolded if I was in this

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race. We don't know. I
can't look into a crystal

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ball, but we did see a
resurgence of energy. I

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mean, I think we had more
people at our relaunch

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party that was at our
launch party.

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>> Campaigns change in very
short order.

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>> Joel Brennan and Kelda
Roys are the last two

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Democrats in the race. They
have consistently pulled in

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the low single digits and
share the idea that if more

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people knew their names,
they'd have more support.

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>> My challenge from the
beginning has been that I

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am just not as well known
as other candidates, not as

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well known in some parts of
the state. I think when

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people have seen and heard
from me, they understand my

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experience, the work that
I've done, the vision that

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I have, like I win over
lots of those people.

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>> We need a candidate at
the top of the ticket who

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will not only beat Tom
Tiffany, but help us

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deliver a Democratic
Assembly and Senate. And

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most importantly, we need
somebody who's actually

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capable of doing the job of
governing.

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>> Are we going to stop big
government socialism right

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here in Wisconsin? Yeah.
>> Waiting on the other

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side of the primary is Tom
Tiffany, a congressman from

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northern Wisconsin who is
largely unopposed in the

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Republican primary.
>> My mom quilts.

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[MUSIC]
>> I've been a dam tender,

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a boat captain and a girl
dad with perfect attendance

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at 20 nutcrackers.
[MUSIC]

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>> Tiffany's record in
Congress and the Wisconsin

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legislature before that
shows he's a far right

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conservative, but he's
spent millions introducing

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himself to the state as a
folksy everyman.

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>> Tom, you know mom's
gonna hold you to it.

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[MUSIC]
>> I wouldn't have it any

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other way. Yeah. I mean, it
was one of the goals from

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the start was to make sure
that people got to meet me

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on my own terms.
>> Democrats have spent

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their millions on their own
ads, but aren't worried.

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Tiffany has gained too much
of an advantage.

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>> Tom Tiffany has been the
frontrunner presumptive

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nominee for months. To
still be doing intro ads is

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a little bit embarrassing.
>> Listen, I like old

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Fashioneds. I've got four
daughters and a son. I like

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going to The Nutcracker
with them. That is not what

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qualifies me to be governor.
>> We don't have to

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redefine. We just have to
make sure that people know

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who he is. Always been. And
like my grandma used to say,

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you know, when someone
shows you who they are the

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first time, you have to
believe them.

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>> Whoever wins this
primary is going to come

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out with wind at our back
with momentum, and then

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we'll be the time where Tom
Tiffany can't just look

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over his shoulder and talk
about his mother. He's

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going to have to look over
his shoulder and talk about

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Donald Trump.
>> After the primary,

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Tiffany's ads will have an
opponent to attack by name.

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And for his part, he says
he's not worried about

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which Democrat he faces.
>> There really isn't a

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dime's worth of difference
between the candidates. I

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mean, they're very similar,
and whoever comes out of

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the primary is going to be
advocating for the same
