Francesca Hong, a Democratic socialist and the furthest-left candidate in three high-profile progressive gubernatorial primaries this cycle, lost Wisconsin's Democratic gubernatorial primary Tuesday night. The outcome revealed limits to the far left's electoral power and undercut narratives of an emerging insurgency, even as some progressives celebrated what they called a needed course correction for the movement.
Hong faced criticism from within progressive circles over gaffes and negative national media coverage in the final weeks of the race. She received no endorsements from top national progressive leaders including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) or Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who kept her at arm's length throughout the campaign.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive operatives and Democratic strategists argued that Hong's loss reflected candidate quality rather than a broader movement failure. They pointed to Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin as a model for winning statewide by focusing on kitchen-table issues, health care and agricultural policy without engaging in cultural battles.
"I wouldn't equate progressive and DSA," said one Wisconsin Democratic operative granted anonymity to speak candidly. The person added that there is "a ceiling at this point" for democratic socialism in Wisconsin ahead of 2028.
Cenk Uygur, founder of The Young Turks and co-founder of Justice Democrats, said Hong was clobbered by national media coverage and lacked time to build a counter-narrative after negative publicity in the final two weeks. One donor adviser who works with progressive candidates called Hong's loss "a good thing for the movement," arguing it demonstrates that voter appetite exists for progressive ideas but that candidate quality matters, especially in battleground states.
"This is a far better outcome, and says that it is so close that a progressive who doesn't say the dumbest shit in the world would have won," the donor adviser said. "Bernie, AOC and most national groups stayed out."
What the Right Is Saying
Movement critics within leftist circles argued that top national leaders' refusal to engage cost Hong the race. Nathan J. Robinson, editor-in-chief of the leftist magazine Current Affairs, said progressive leaders must actively support candidates with a chance of winning.
"This movement will fail if we see more letdowns at the critical moment," Robinson said. "Especially if AOC wants to be taken seriously as a national leader of the left movement, she needs to actually support the candidates out there who have a chance to notch victories."
Some democratic socialists blamed fellow travelers for not mobilizing sufficiently behind Hong's campaign. Others noted that DSA rising stars including Melat Kiros and Chris Rabb skipped Wisconsin after spending recent primary days campaigning in Michigan and Colorado.
What the Numbers Show
Hong lost the Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary, receiving no major national progressive endorsements during her campaign. By contrast, Peggy Flanagan won Minnesota's Senate Democratic primary by 20 points on the same night. Last week, Abdul El-Sayed narrowly won his Michigan Senate primary — a race where he had significant national support.
Sanders-backed Rebecca Cooke also won Wisconsin's swingy 3rd District primary. Hong came within a few thousand votes of sitting Gov. Tony Evers' preferred candidate as a first-time statewide contender, according to those who sought to downplay the result.
The Bottom Line
The split results across three high-profile progressive primaries reveal both the potential and limitations of democratic socialism in statewide races. While Flanagan's commanding victory showed that solid progressives can win with institutional support, Hong's loss underscores the consequences when top national voices distance themselves from a candidate. Movement leaders face renewed pressure to decide when and where to deploy their political capital ahead of the 2028 election cycle.