Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Francesca Hong, a state lawmaker from Madison and member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), narrowly lost her primary race to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.
Commentators on various sides of the political spectrum offered reactions to Hong's defeat. U.S. Representative Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., sent a statement to CNN that read, "Let’s just say it’s a day of Thanksgiving," a remark referencing Hong's past comments about the holiday.
Democratic strategist Anna Greenberg told CNN that Hong "was a bad candidate without national support," emphasizing that "candidate quality matters."
Tim Graham of the Media Research Center suggested that Hong's campaign might have been impacted by interviews where she discussed controversial topics. "It feels like she treated these national interviews as a step toward the general election, not a reason to get fired in the primary," Graham told Fox News Digital. He added, "It's always funny that the definition of a 'moderate' Democrat is anyone who can celebrate Thanksgiving and deplore 9/11."
Former Trump official Theo Wold cautioned against underestimating the appeal of DSA candidates, even outside urban centers. "Any Republican who thinks the DSA wave has crested or that DSA candidates can’t win outside of urban areas isn’t paying attention," Wold told Fox News Digital. He characterized Hong's views as "radical" and noted that while they might appeal to some voters, "What Hong lacked was nearly any support from working class Americans."
Wold also stated, "The pattern is always the same. DSA candidates run on a platform that they say is for the working class, and then get firmly rejected by actual working-class voters. Because it turns out socialism is a luxury belief for wealthy, college-educated liberals that people who work with their hands can't afford."
Hong, who had drawn national scrutiny for remarks about canceling Thanksgiving and past calls to abolish the U.S. Senate and police, conceded the race to Crowley. She pledged to support Crowley as he faces Republican Tom Tiffany in the general election. Republicans are seeking to win a gubernatorial race in Wisconsin for the first time since 2014.