Rick Crosson won the Democratic nominee for the 8th Congressional District, beating a democratic socialist and a self-described progressive independent in the Aug. 11 primary election.
The Associated Press, NBC News and New York Times called the race early on Aug. 12, with 98% of the votes counted and over 70,000 votes cast. Crosson won with 35.2% of the votes, edging progressive Mark Scheffler by 2.2 percentage points and democratic socialist Katrina deVille, by 3.6 points.
He will face Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Tony Wied and a well-stocked campaign war chest during the Nov. 3 election. The 8th Congressional District stretches from the Michigan border into the Fox Valley and has not elected a Democrat in two decades.
“Tonight, we have delivered a strong message: That it’s time to unite and focus on what we are for,” Crosson said in a speech before results were called to a crowd of supporters at Titletown Brewing Company in Green Bay. “Americans are tired of an ineffective, acquiescent Congress and a no-show congressman. The people of northeast Wisconsin want strong, engaged, decisive leadership and that is what we will bring to bear.”
In a statement to the Press-Gazette prior to final results being called, Wied said he was “proud of what I have delivered for northeast Wisconsin over the last two years” and that “northeast Wisconsinites have a clear choice to make, and I will spend the next two months making the case for why I am the right choice to continue representing them in Washington.”
Entering the race in August 2025 after losing a reelection bid to the Green Bay School Board, Crosson campaigned as a strategist with a tactic of talking to everyone and expanding the Democratic Party’s appeal from the inside. He said during a candidate forum that he has built a broad coalition across the political spectrum and had “attached myself with every group you can name.”
He has defended his position of working within the Democratic Party to affect change, saying there was “absolutely nothing wrong with being a Democrat” or being an insider to “fix any and all issues that we may be dealing with.”
In the days before the primary, Crosson stumped with progressive candidate and state Sen. Kelda Roys in De Pere, where he said that voters were too focused on negativity and that he would focus on commonalities.
On policy, he has said that health care is a human right, though has stopped short of backing a universal health care system as his opponents had done.
Crosson has also said he would push for a strong education system, telling the Press-Gazette that public school funding needed to be rethought. He said he preferred that children go to public schools but had no issue with private schools.
He has highlighted his support for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which would create a more stringent process for states and institutions to make changes that could affect voting rights.
On many socioeconomic issues, Crosson has indicated he would vote to codify the right to an abortion into federal law and supported equal opportunity and access for transgender people. He has said he would back a tax on billionaires, free four-year public college and a universal, federally funded childcare program. He has shown support for banning congressmembers from trading individual stocks.
Jesse Lin is a reporter covering the community of Green Bay and its surroundings, as well as politics in northeastern Wisconsin. He also writes a weekly column answering reader questions about Green Bay. Contact and send him questions at 920-834-4250 or jlin@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Rick Crosson wins Democratic nomination to challenge Rep. Tony Wied
Reporting by Jesse Lin, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jesse Lin, Green Bay Press-Gazette | USA TODAY Network
