Wisconsin Democrats are scrambling in the final days before the Aug. 11 primary to block state Rep. Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, from capturing the party’s nomination for governor.
Hong, a Madison lawmaker and Democratic Socialists of America member, has led recent Marquette University Law School polls with 26% support among Democratic primary voters. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes trails at 15%. Nearly half of voters remain undecided. The survey was conducted before major late shifts in the field.
Party leaders fear Hong’s left-wing positions — including past calls to abolish police and ICE, free childcare, higher taxes on the wealthy, and a moratorium on data centers — would hand the general election to likely Republican nominee Rep. Tom Tiffany in the purple state that Donald Trump carried in 2024. Head-to-head polling shows Hong trailing or tying Tiffany, while Barnes holds a narrow edge.
Efforts to consolidate opposition intensified after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez abruptly exited the race last week amid campaign finance turmoil. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who had suspended his bid earlier and endorsed Rodriguez, quickly reentered with the backing of outgoing Gov. Tony Evers. The move is widely seen as an establishment bid to present a more moderate alternative and split the anti-Hong vote further among Barnes, Crowley, state Sen. Kelda Roys and former administration official Joel Brennan.
Republicans have amplified the stakes. A super PAC linked to the Republican Governors Association has spent more than $2 million on ads in liberal strongholds highlighting Hong’s progressive stances. Democrats call the spending a cynical attempt to elevate a candidate they believe Tiffany can defeat in November.
Hong’s campaign dismisses electability concerns, arguing her focus on affordability resonates beyond the progressive base. Absentee voting is underway, and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin has sought to let early voters who selected Rodriguez spoil their ballots and recast them.
With the field fractured and time short, the primary tests whether Wisconsin Democrats will nominate a socialist standard-bearer or close ranks behind a candidate viewed as safer against the GOP.
