Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar
Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar

8/12/26: Major Wisconsin Elections, Trump National Emergency Before Midterms, Zohran Targets Wealthy NYers

August 12, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

8/12/26: Major Wisconsin Elections, Trump National Emergency Before Midterms, Zohran Targets Wealthy NYers

The night's most striking result came from Wisconsin, where DSA candidate Francesca Hong lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary by less than a percentage point despite polling that had shown her leading by double digits. "It's incredible to see the gap between someone's polling support and someone's actual voting support at the ballot box," said Brian Reisinger, a former GOP consultant and working farmer who joined the show to analyze the results. Hong, who had been boosted by millions in Republican spending designed to frame her as too liberal for the general election, came within a hair of defeating Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley—who had resurrected his campaign after initially dropping out, reportedly after his wife prayed for a "red bird" as a sign from God.

Why Wisconsin's Polling Miss Matters

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

What you'll learn

  • 1 Breaking Points – August 12, 2026
  • 2 Timestamped Outline
  • 3 (02:20) **Election Night Recap & Polling Miss** - Hosts introduce a wild night of primary results, with major polling errors across multiple states
  • 4 (05:51) **Wisconsin Governor Primary: Hong vs. Crowley** - DSA candidate Francesca Hong loses a razor-thin race despite leading by double digits in polls, as Republicans spent millions to boost her
  • 5 (11:19) **Brian Reisinger on Wisconsin's Rural-Suburban Dynamics** - A former GOP consultant and working farmer analyzes what Hong's near-miss reveals about the state's political realignment
  • 6 (24:25) **Minnesota Senate Primary: Flanagan Crushes Craig** - Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan defeats incumbent Sen. Angie Craig by 20 points, a massive rebuke to AIPAC-backed incumbents
  • 7 (34:21) **Minnesota House Primary: Matt Little Trounces AIPAC-Backed Opponent** - Progressive Matt Little wins the race to replace Angie Craig, despite millions in outside spending against him

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Krystal Ball Saagar Enjeti

Show Notes

Ryan and Emily discuss Wisconsin and Minnesota elections, Trump floats national emergency before elections, Zohran goes after wealthy second home owners. 

 

Brian Reisinger: https://www.brian-reisinger.com/

Andrew Bard Epstein: https://www.andrewbardepstein.com/ 

 

 

To become a Breaking Points Premium Member and watch/listen to the show AD FREE, uncut and 1 hour early visit: www.breakingpoints.com   

Merch Store: https://shop.breakingpoints.com/   

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar

More from this podcast

Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar →