Wisconsin Democrats rejected radical socialist Francesca Hong in their gubernatorial primary Tuesday, handing the nomination to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley by just over 3,000 votes — a repudiation of the defund-the-police, cancel-Thanksgiving agenda in a state that decides presidencies.
The race wasn't supposed to be close. Polls showed Hong, a Democratic Socialists of America member and state lawmaker from Madison, leading by double digits in the final stretch. But when the ballots were counted, Crowley sat at 39.8% to Hong's 39.4%, according to the Associated Press. Hong conceded early Wednesday morning rather than pay for a recount she was entitled to under state law.
Hong's campaign collapsed under the weight of her own words. Resurfaced social media posts showed her declaring in October 2021 that "police exist to uphold white supremacy" and calling to "Defund then abolish. Reform can't be an option." She had also posted that the country should "cancel Thanksgiving" to "stop celebrating colonialism" and railed against Valentine's Day. By the campaign's final days, Hong was in full retreat, telling voters: "I'm not defunding the police, not abolishing police. I am serious about public safety." She insisted she had "evolved" and "learned."
The press split cleanly along ideological lines. The Guardian called it a "messy" primary and buried Hong's radical history entirely, noting only that polling was "difficult." Fox News framed the result as the center-left establishment striking back against the party's socialist wing. The New York Post led with Hong's "holiday-hating" posts and noted she cast her ballot wearing $300 Air Jordans. CNN focused on the nail-biter vote count, even reporting the soundtrack at Hong's watch party — Shania Twain's "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" — as her lead briefly flickered to life before vanishing for good.
Crowley, 40, would be Wisconsin's first Black governor. He had suspended his campaign and endorsed Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez just last month, then re-entered when Rodriguez and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes dropped out — a late-stage establishment scramble to block Hong. Outgoing Gov. Tony Evers endorsed Crowley, warning that a Hong nomination could cost Democrats the governor's office. "I am so proud of David — he's the future of our Party," Evers posted on X after the race was called.
Hong's national backers included Reps. Ilhan Omar and Ro Khanna, a potential 2028 presidential contender. But Sen. Bernie Sanders notably declined to endorse, saying he wasn't "familiar enough" with her campaign — a telling signal from the left's own standard-bearer.
Hong told supporters Tuesday night: "We have built something that will change politics forever." Her campaign manager Becky Cooper insisted the team "campaigned clean" and their "souls are intact."
Crowley now faces Rep. Tom Tiffany, a House Freedom Caucus member backed by President Trump who ran unopposed in the Republican primary. The race is rated a top GOP flip opportunity.
The question heading into November: can a party that nearly nominated a politician who wanted to abolish police and cancel Thanksgiving convince swing-state voters it shares their values? Tiffany and Trump are betting it can't.
