Democratic candidates met for a televised primary debate hosted by a Milwaukee ABC affiliate this week, the latest stop in a campaign season that has put a spotlight on the party's internal divide between its progressive and establishment wings.
The debate format put candidates side by side at podiums to field questions on the economy, housing and public safety, with moderators pressing them to draw contrasts with one another rather than simply criticizing Republicans.
Wisconsin's primary has become one of several races nationally where a more establishment aligned Democrat is squaring off against a candidate running further to the left, echoing a similar dynamic playing out in neighboring Minnesota this cycle. Party strategists in both states say the outcome could offer an early read on which lane primary voters prefer heading into a broader set of contests later this year.
Supporters of the more progressive candidates argue the party needs a sharper economic message to win back voters who have drifted away in recent cycles, while backers of the more centrist contenders say electability in competitive districts should remain the priority.
Neither campaign declared victory after the debate, and both said they planned to keep campaigning hard in the final stretch before voters go to the polls.