Socialist Francesca Hong loses Dem primary for WI governor in major upset as party debates direction

Democratic socialist Francesca Hong narrowly lost Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor, a stinging defeat in a race that showcased the party’s deep divide between its centrist and far-left wings.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, widely viewed as a moderate Democrat, beat Hong by less than a percentage point: Crowley secured 39.81% of the vote while Hong won 39.33%. The stunning upset came after Hong had a double-digit lead in the polls among Democrats prior to the election.

Crowley dropped out of the primary in early July, then jumped back in days later as rivals exited and the race narrowed around Hong, casting himself as the moderate best positioned to beat Republican Tom Tiffany in November.

In the weeks leading up to the Aug. 11 primary, Hong came under fire for resurfaced tweets where she called for canceling Thanksgiving, referred to women as “birthing bodies,” advocated for the Senate to be abolished, and said she nearly had an “anxiety attack” after being around too many white people. 

A member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Hong’s far-left platform included creating publicly owned grocery stores, refusing to cooperate with federal immigration officers, and rolling back school choice among her top priorities, as Heartlander News previously reported. 

Wisconsin’s split mirrors a similarly close Senate primary in Michigan last week, where progressive Abdul El-Sayed narrowly beat centrist Haley Stevens by 1 percentage point. The tight races – in two battleground states – indicate the Democratic party remains deeply divided between its establishment and progressive wings.

Crowley now will face Trump-endorsed Tiffany in the general election to replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, in a race Republicans see as a prime opportunity to flip the seat.

“I want to thank Wisconsinites across our state for putting their trust in me. This fight is bigger than any one party. It’s bigger than any one candidate. This fight is about Wisconsin and protecting the state we know and love,” Tiffany wrote on social media following Tuesday’s Republican primary. “It’s about lowering property taxes, returning the surplus to you, getting utility costs under control, and letting hardworking Wisconsinites keep more of what they earn.”

Heartlander News reached out to the campaigns of Crowley, Hong, and Tiffany for reaction to Tuesday’s election results, but did not hear back by time of publication.