Democratic Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong waves to supporters after speaking during a primary election night watch party on Aug. 11, 2026, in Madison<\/span>Nam Y. Huh\/AP<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Following a chaotic <\/span>race for Wisconsin governor, moderate Democrat David Crowley defeated progressive Francesca Hong on Tuesday night.\u00a0<\/p>\n Although Hong held a convincing lead<\/a> in many of Tuesday\u2019s polls, she lost by about 4,000 votes\u2014a narrow 0.5 percentage point. <\/strong>As someone presenting herself as a member<\/a> of the Democratic Socialists of America and without endorsements from key progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)\u2014who notably distanced herself from more progressive policies<\/a> on Sunday, Hong came across as an outsider candidate who gained popularity over time.<\/p>\n Critics on the right<\/a>, and some Democrats<\/a>, criticized Hong for past social media remarks, <\/strong>such as a deleted post to \u201cCancel Thanksgiving\u201d<\/a> and calls for \u201cdefunding the police as a first step towards abolishing the police<\/a>\u201d. If she won, she would have become the first democratic socialist governor in US history<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n On the establishment Democrats\u2019 side, multiple candidates who were once considered front-runners withdrew\u2014including Sara Rodriguez, Wisconsin\u2019s current lieutenant governor, who suspended her campaign<\/a> in mid-July after she fired her campaign manager for inflating financial reports. Even the victor, Crowley, re-entered the race<\/a> shortly after Rodriguez\u2019s departure (he initially suspended his campaign in early July due in part to poor polling<\/a>).<\/p>\n It was a messier race than others where progressives won, such as Abdul El-Sayed\u2019s Senate primary victory in Michigan<\/a>, and may provide fewer clear takeaways about <\/strong>the future of progressives running as Democrats.<\/p>\n<\/article><\/div>\n
\n\t<\/p>\n
Get your news from a source that\u2019s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily<\/em>.<\/a><\/div>\n