Socialist State Rep. Francesca Hong Falls Short in Wisconsin Gubernatorial Primary Amid Cancel Thanksgiving Backlash

Topline

Socialist state Representative Francesca Hong was narrowly defeated in Tuesday’s Wisconsin gubernatorial primary by Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the establishment-backed candidate, reflecting a broader swing-state contest that split Democrats amid a wave of progressive wins that could reshape the party’s direction.

Key Facts

The Associated Press called the close race at 3:34 a.m. ET, with Crowley capturing 39.8% of the vote after nearly all ballots were tallied.

Hong trailed with 39.4%, falling just about 3,000 votes short when the race was declared.

Much like the Michigan Democratic primary the prior week, polls and betting markets underestimated the establishment contender, as Hong had been projected to win by a comfortable margin.

State Senator Kelda Roys and former state official Joel Brennan finished far behind, taking 7.5% and 4.7% of the vote, respectively.

Crowley, endorsed by outgoing Democratic Governor Tony Evers, will now face Republican nominee Representative Tom Tiffany—who secured President Donald Trump’s backing and won his primary with roughly 95% of the vote.

News Peg

Tuesday’s vote concluded a tumultuous Democratic primary in which Crowley briefly halted his campaign, citing doubts about his viability. He re-entered after the candidate he had backed, Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez, withdrew, while former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes also ended his bid in July. Hong emerged as the latest polarizing progressive figure to split the party—she drew criticism after an unearthed, then‑deleted social‑media post from 2020 urging followers to “cancel Thanksgiving,” a comment she later walked back. Prominent progressives such as Representative Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez (D‑NY) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I‑VT) have withheld their endorsements of Hong.

tangent

Some Democrats worry that Hong could struggle against Tiffany in the general election. Although head‑to‑head polling is sparse, a State Navigate survey indicated she was losing ground to Tiffany among Democratic primary voters last November, while a Marquette Law School poll showed Barnes as the only primary contender with an edge over Tiffany.

key background

Progressive candidates have repeatedly toppled establishment‑backed incumbents this primary season. In Michigan, state Representative Abdul El‑Sayed defeated Representative Haley Stevens in the Democratic Senate primary, and democratic socialist state representative Donovan McKinney unseated Representative Shri Thanedar (D‑MI) in last week’s contests. In New York, several congressional hopefuls backed by socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani ousted incumbents in June, including Brad Lander, who unseated two‑term Representative Dan Goldman, and Ávila Chevalier, who toppled five‑term Representative Adriano Espaillat. In Colorado, socialist Melat Kiros knocked out 15‑term Democratic incumbent Representative Diana DeGette in July.

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