Contact: WisPolitics.com Editor JR Ross, 608-669-8418

MADISON — Democratic Party of Wisconsin conventioneers voting in a WisPolitics straw poll favored Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez to be the party’s nominee for governor in 2026, with state Rep. Francesca Hong close behind.

They also backed former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the Dem presidential nomination in 2028.

Rodriguez, who served one term in the Assembly representing a Waukesha County seat before her election as lieutenant governor in 2022, was activists’ top choice among possible candidates in next year’s race with support from 164 of those answering the question, or 27.5%. Hong was second with 138 votes, or 23.1%.

State Sen. Kelda Roys was third at 114 votes.

Democrats met in Madison—the hometown of Hong and Roys—for the convention.

Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who has been a frontrunner in public and private polling, was sixth in the seven-person field with 41 votes. 

For president, 102 of those participating in the straw poll, or 17.7%, said they backed Buttigieg for the Dem nomination in 2028. Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, was just behind at 101 votes, or 17.5%.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker was third at 81 votes; no one else topped 50.

State Dem Party officials reported that 682 delegates and 359 guests attended the convention. Of those attending, nearly 60% cast votes in the straw poll.

See complete coverage of the straw poll and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin convention in the WisPolitics Dem Convention Blog.

WisPolitics, started in 2000, is a nonpartisan online news organization based in Madison that operates an email news service in addition to the free sites WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com. WisPolitics is part of the State Affairs network. WisPolitics has frequently conducted straw polls at both state Republican and Democratic conventions over the years.

**2026 Dem convention straw poll results**

Ballots cast: 597

If the 2026 Dem primary for governor were held today, whom would you support?

Sara Rodriguez…………164 votes
Francesca Hong………..138 votes
Kelda Roys………………114 votes
David Crowley……………78 votes
Joel Brennan……………..52 votes
Mandela Barnes………….41 votes
Missy Hughes…………….10 votes

If the 2028 Democratic primary for president were held today, whom would you support?

Pete Buttigieg…………………….102 votes
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez………101 votes
JB Pritzker…………………………81 votes
Mark Kelly…………………………49 votes
Jon Ossoff…………………………40 votes
Gavin Newsom……………………34 votes
Andy Beshear…………………….33 votes
Kamala Harris…………………….29 votes
Gretchen Whitmer………………..26 votes
Josh Shapiro………………………18 votes
Cory Booker……………………….15 votes
Ro Khanna…………………………15 votes
Wes Moore…………………………13 votes
Rahm Emanuel…………………….4 votes
Elissa Slotkin……………………….4 votes
Ruben Gallego……………………..0 votes
Write-in……………………………..13 votes
No vote……………………………..20