Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong has been rapidly rising in popularity, but is Wisconsin ready to elect a Democratic Socialist?
Upon entering the race, Hong quickly managed to stand out with her progressive policies and views, as she regularly touted her intent to fight for Medicare for all and raise the minimum wage, along with an opposition to the construction of data centers near communities.
Her messaging appears to have struck a chord with Wisconsin voters. A Marquette Law School poll taken last month found Hong leading with 38% of the vote – a 25-point lead ahead of her closest competitor, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who dropped out of the race on July 30.
That leaves Hong to face Milwaukee County executive David Crowley, but despite the impressive polling, she might not stroll past the finish line.
In weeks following the poll, Hong has faced heightened criticism after a handful of past comments and social media posts were revived by critics. Most notable were past calls to defund the police and a 2020 post in which she called for Thanksgiving to be canceled.
Hong has attempted to walk back her stances on policing and recently told Politico that the Thanksgiving post was simply a joke, but critics have continued to aggressively call attention to her comments.
Tuesday's contest will absolutely be one to watch, as the results will signal how well efforts to throw off Hong have been and demonstrate how effective progressive candidate's influence is on a broader scale.
Francesca Hong struggles to gain acceptance in her own party
Despite her popularity and commanding poll numbers, many Democrats have been wary about supporting her.
As Wisconsin is a battleground state, some local Democrats argue she may be too far left to succeed in November.
On the national level, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – two of the most popular Democratic Socialists in the country – have refused to endorse her, claiming they are focused on supporting House and Senate races.
In a recent X post, David Axelrod – one of the architects behind former President Barack Obama's presidential campaigns – argued that Abdul El-Sayed, another progressive candidate who recently won his primary in Minnesota, would benefit if Hong loses.
"He is a serious person. She is a font of zany liberal," Axelrod wrote, adding Republicans "would surely try and link Abdul and Hong as philosophical kin."
Hong surprisingly responded, arguing that Axelrod's remarks present " a perfect example of why the consultant class keeps losing elections."
"They're totally clueless, and they're hellbent on keeping working-class people out of politics," she added.
It's worth noting that multiple polls ahead of the Minnesota primary showed El-Sayed leading by double digits, but after votes were counted, he narrowly won by only 1 point.