The rise of the democratic socialist wing within the U.S. Democratic Party hit a speed bump in the Wisconsin primary. Francesca Hong (37), a Korean American state representative who ran for Wisconsin governor as a democratic socialist, suffered an unexpected loss on the 11th (local time) in the Democratic primary to David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive with a moderate bent.
Hong led late-stage polls, but Crowley flipped the race with last-minute backing from the party establishment, including incumbent Gov. Tony Evers. Evers, who had initially said he would not get involved in the primary, switched late to endorse Crowley and campaigned with him, and with added fundraising help, Crowley's haul surpassed Hong's.
The New York Times (NYT) said the result revealed a limit: that the democratic socialist wave struggles to spread beyond urban centers. Wisconsin, a quintessential swing state with a high share of rural and small-town voters and no major metropolis, has flipped winners in each of the last three presidential elections.
Hong's personal weaknesses are also cited as reasons for defeat. Past calls to abolish the police and social media posts critical of Thanksgiving stirred controversy, and she did not secure support from standard-bearers of the wing such as Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. While she led in primary polling, surveys of general-election strength showed she was the weakest among the field.
However, in the Minnesota U.S. Senate primary the same day, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a progressive backed by Sen. Sanders, defeated moderate Rep. Angie Craig, leading some to say the momentum of the democratic socialist wing has not been completely halted.
Anthony Chergosky, an associate professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, said, "Even if Democratic voters sympathize with many of Hong's positions, it shows they hesitate about her chances in the general election."