Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist state lawmaker from Madison, is the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin governor — and the establishment press can't stop telling you she's exactly what working Wisconsinites need.
Here's what that looks like in practice: universal childcare, fully funded public schools, and a moratorium on datacenters. In other words, more government spending and fewer jobs. That's not fighting the status quo. That IS the status quo that's been hollowing out American cities for decades. The Guardian painted a glowing portrait of Hong dancing at a 24-hour bike race in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood, getting a tattoo, handing out coloring books — the whole manic-pixie-progressive package. They quoted her saying Wisconsinites are "tired of people making decisions that don't improve lives and they're tired of the status quo." But Hong's platform is the Democratic party line with a socialist label slapped on it. Public schools get more money every cycle. Childcare subsidies expand every year. The datacenter moratorium is the only remotely interesting policy — and it's a job-killer. These facilities bring high-wage construction and tech jobs to communities that desperately need them. Hong wants to freeze them out. The New York Times, meanwhile, framed Hong's rise as a story of grassroots genius — a "small army of volunteers" outworking better-funded rivals. The Times highlighted how Hong's campaign showed up in force at a "No Kings" protest in Milwaukee in March, gathering cellphone numbers and email addresses from angry demonstrators. A senior adviser, Harry Walton, boasted about putting "a lot of miles on my car." Fair enough — they out-organized the competition. But organizing skill doesn't make your policies work. What both outlets bury is the Democratic establishment's actual objection. Outgoing Governor Tony Evers endorsed David Crowley and claimed Hong's campaign was "in a tough place" because she had to deal with "what's on the Twitter." He's not wrong. Trump already seized on an old Hong tweet calling for cancelling Thanksgiving. The establishment's panic isn't about Hong being too left-wing — it's about her being too transparent about it. The machine prefers candidates who soft-pedal the agenda until after November. Hong herself pointed to Crowley's exit and reentry as evidence of "panic by the Democratic establishment," according to the Guardian. She's right that the establishment is rattled. She's wrong about why it matters. Four candidates remain in Tuesday's primary: Hong, Kelda Roys, Joel Brennan, and David Crowley. One previous contender, Sara Rodriguez, left after campaign finance irregularities. Mandela Barnes dropped out July 31. The field has winnowed to the progressive versus the party's backup options. The real question neither outlet asks: if progressive governance is the answer, why are working-class Wisconsinites leaving? Why does the state need a savior at all after years of Democratic governors and progressive city councils running Milwaukee into the ground? The media anoints candidates like Hong precisely because she'll accelerate the same policies that made the decline inevitable — then act surprised when the exodus continues.
