Democratic socialist Francesca Hong may have lost the Democratic primary for governor, but this week she appears to be spending more time publicly campaigning across Wisconsin than the man who beat her.
Hong kicked off her “We Make Better Possible Trifecta Tour” over the weekend with events in Milwaukee and Beloit. Additional stops are planned in Stevens Point, Menomonie, Green Bay, Oshkosh, Madison and Ashland over the next month.
Democratic nominee David Crowley, meanwhile, has no upcoming public events listed on his campaign website. His campaign’s former events page has also been rerouted. The Tiffany campaign called out this contrast Monday as Crowley headed more than 2,000 miles away from Wisconsin for a high-dollar fundraiser in Santa Monica, California.
The California fundraiser features former Vice President Kamala Harris and actor Sean Penn, with suggested contributions ranging from $500 to $20,000 for VIP admission. Crowley also traveled to Washington, D.C., for fundraising earlier this month.
“Self-avowed socialist Francesca Hong is holding more public events across Wisconsin than David Crowley while he flies off to Washington, D.C., and California to raise money with wealthy donors and Kamala Harris,” Republican nominee Tom Tiffany said Monday.
“I am traveling Wisconsin, talking directly with voters, answering their questions, and laying out a clear agenda to cut taxes, return the state surplus to taxpayers, lower everyday costs, and keep our communities safe,” Tiffany continued. “Wisconsin deserves a governor focused on Wisconsin, not one outsourcing his campaign to a socialist while chasing checks in Washington and California.”
Hong narrowly lost the August Democratic primary to Crowley and endorsed him afterward. But her reemergence on the campaign trail has been decidedly independent. Her “We Make Better Possible” tour retains her own political branding and is aimed broadly at electing Democrats rather than campaigning specifically for Crowley.
Hong has also made clear that Crowley still has work to do to win over the socialist and progressive voters who backed her in the primary.
“I think it’s important that David lets our supporters know that he shares our values,” Hong told WISN’s Matt Smith over the weekend. Hong, a dues-paying member of the Democratic Socialists of America since 2020, campaigned on policies including abolishing ICE and prisons, imposing a moratorium on new data centers and raising taxes on corporations and billionaires.
The comments add another wrinkle to Hong’s return to the campaign trail. While the Democratic nominee has no upcoming public events listed on his campaign website and is traveling to California for a high-dollar fundraiser, the socialist candidate he narrowly defeated is touring Wisconsin — and publicly calling on him to reassure her supporters that he shares their values.
For now, that leaves Wisconsin Democrats with an unusual sight less than six weeks before Election Day: the runner-up is touring Wisconsin, while the nominee is fundraising in California.
