Francesca Hong's gubernatorial primary campaign in Wisconsin concluded with an unexpected loss Tuesday, a result that commentators suggest reveals broader challenges for the progressive movement. Despite recent polling indicating a clear path to the nomination and a notable absence of strong campaigning from her opponent, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Hong was defeated.
Hong's campaign had been marked by controversy surrounding her past advocacy for police, prison, and Thanksgiving abolition. While Governor Tony Evers reportedly supported her opponent, and progressive figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders did not provide endorsements, Hong appeared confident in her electoral prospects. Her campaign staff reportedly denied access to journalists from The Post and Fox News at her election night watch party.
Crowley, who had suspended his own campaign briefly last month, secured a victory that observers are interpreting as a significant setback for Hong and the political ideology she espouses. The article suggests that while similar progressive candidates have found success in other areas, such as New York City and Michigan, their victories have been tied to candidate quality.
The commentary posits that Hong lacked the charisma and dynamic presence of other progressive leaders. Her stump speeches were described as lacking energy and her public speaking style as detached. Supporters, however, were reportedly enthusiastic about her policy proposals, including taxing the wealthy, halting ICE operations, and imposing a moratorium on data centers, with one supporter expressing concern about billionaires uploading their brains to computers. Her promise of "permanent affordability" was also noted as resonating in the context of recent inflation.
However, the campaign's rhetoric, particularly its opposition to law enforcement, was seen as a significant liability. Hong's voting record against legislation targeting sexual predators was cited. Her political identity, which critics linked to the unrest of 2020, was also presented as a concern, particularly among minority communities whose educational choices were perceived as being threatened by her stance on school voucher programs. The article contends that voters focused on practical economic concerns, rather than what it characterizes as "post-modern theory," ultimately favored Crowley.
Hong's defeat, according to the analysis, underscores the difficulty of translating a progressive agenda into electoral success when faced with candidate deficiencies and concerns about radical policy positions. Unlike figures such as Ocasio-Cortez or Zohran Mamdani, who are described as adept at political messaging, Hong was perceived as lacking the ability to mask her campaign's perceived flaws.