MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin voters head to the polls Tuesday for a gubernatorial primary that pits democratic socialist Francesca Hong against Gov. Tony Evers' favored successor, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. A Hong victory would mark a significant win for the progressive movement and could shape its strategy heading into the 2028 presidential cycle.
Despite Hong's progressive platform, prominent national figures on the left—including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)—have not endorsed her campaign. The silence stands in contrast to their past backing of candidates such as Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed.
Sanders declined to comment on the Wisconsin race last Friday on Capitol Hill. People close to the senator, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Sanders does not know Hong personally, even though she has invoked his name and ideology on the campaign trail. Those same individuals said they view Hong as less vetted and weaker on messaging than other candidates Sanders has backed—a risk underscored by his endorsement of Graham Platner in Maine's Senate race.
Ocasio-Cortez also chose not to endorse Hong. "My focus has been on winning back the Congress, winning back the House, and positioning ourselves to have the best chance possible to win the Senate," she said in a recent interview.
Both Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez typically concentrate on federal races and rarely weigh in on state-level contests. But their public silence on Hong's campaign is notable given her explicit appeal to their brand of politics—and it signals the challenge she faces in consolidating progressive support, let alone winning over moderate Democrats and independents.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) also indicated she has no familiarity with Hong. "I don't know her," Warren told reporters in a hallway interview—a pointed reminder of how much name recognition Hong still lacks on the national left.
Hong has also faced scrutiny over past social media posts, including comments advocating canceling Thanksgiving and defunding the police. She now describes those as "bad takes" she has learned from.
Those controversies factor into questions about her viability in November. Should she win Tuesday, Hong would face Trump-backed Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany in a battleground state where general elections are routinely decided by narrow margins.
Wisconsin Democratic officials are already preparing for the post-primary landscape. They plan a unity tour across the state with the gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial nominees immediately after Tuesday's vote—a direct response to the infighting between Hong's allies and establishment Democrats that has defined the primary.
