Primary Loss Exposes Deep Fractures on the Left
Francesca Hong’s defeat in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary has ignited an intense debate across the American left.
The outcome immediately triggered competing interpretations and finger-pointing among progressive activists and strategists, raising urgent questions. Do recent progressive electoral victories signal a durable political shift, or merely the success of individual candidates with broader geographic appeal?
Hong, a state legislator who positioned herself as the most left-leaning candidate in the race, lost to Milwaukee County Executive David Crawley. Crawley enjoyed the backing of outgoing Governor Tony Evers. The contest unfolded as progressive candidates secured stronger outcomes in other states, complicating the national narrative for a movement that had notched several prominent wins during the current election cycle. Hong’s loss stood out particularly due to the limited backing she received from prominent national figures on the left. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) both abstained from endorsing Hong in the primary. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Rep. Mark Pocan, remained on the sidelines and did not throw their weight behind any candidate in the gubernatorial race.
The Silence of National Progressivism
While some grassroots activists argued that Hong was abandoned by national leaders who could have mobilized volunteers and voters during the closing weeks of the campaign, others contended that the neutrality of figures like Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez reflected legitimate concerns regarding Hong’s electability and a series of controversies that shadowed her campaign.
“She took a brutal national media beating, and she didn’t handle the situation with skill, and she didn’t have time to build a counter-narrative,” said Cenk Uygur, founder of The Young Turks and co-founder of Justice Democrats, pointing to the negative media cycle that intensified during the final two weeks of the race, as reported by Politico.
Ideological Ceilings in the Midwest
The division highlighted a widening gap within the Democratic Party between traditional progressives and the more explicitly socialist wing represented by organizations like the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
A Wisconsin Democratic strategist noted that established progressive figures like Baldwin have repeatedly won statewide elections by focusing on core issues like health care, the economy, and agriculture, rather than engaging in contentious culture-war fights.
“I don’t think you should equate progressivism with the DSA,” a Wisconsin Democratic official told Politico, adding that democratic socialism currently appears to face a distinct electoral ceiling in the state.
Counting the Margins and Divided Votes
Supporters of Hong strongly rejected the notion that the primary results represented a definitive rejection of progressive policies. They pointed to the narrow final vote margin, emphasizing that Hong—contesting her first statewide election—finished just a few thousand votes behind Crawley despite facing a candidate aligned with the incumbent governor and operating without substantial national institutional backing.
Campaign supporters also argued that the presence of state Sen. Kilda Roys, another progressive candidate in the primary, fractured the left-of-center vote. Roys secured more than seven percent of the vote, which allies say drained crucial support away from Hong’s coalition.
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