Sanders Responds to Criticism After Hong’s Primary Loss
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) is seemingly unfazed by the backlash regarding his decision to stay out of the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary, where Democratic socialist candidate Francesca Hong was defeated on Tuesday.
Some on the progressive side are pointing fingers at Sanders and other leaders for Hong’s loss, as reported by Politico.
In response to the criticisms, Sanders mentioned, “Our answer is that we have limited resources and capacity and there are a lot of really great candidates running that we don’t support. We can’t support every single candidate, so you know, we have to be selective, but I think Ms. Hong has run a very, very good, very strong grassroots campaign that has involved a lot of people. I commend her for that.”
Breitbart News noted that the Republican Party had assembled a substantial 350-page opposition research document prior to Hong’s defeat. This file included information aimed at preparing Republican Tom Tiffany’s campaign for a potential face-off with her during the upcoming November midterms.
The document, labeled “Privileged and Confidential,” outlined Hong’s past statements and votes related to police, immigration, race, and transgender issues, which Republicans intended to leverage against her.
As a state representative from Madison and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Hong had already come under fire during the primary for her previous calls to defund the police and remarks regarding ending Thanksgiving and addressing white supremacy.
The Republican’s research went even further, capturing a 2020 statement where Hong referred to gentrification as “violence” against Black residents. A year later, she sponsored a resolution that declared systemic racism a “public health crisis,” advocating for “equity-minded nations and societies.”
In an interview with Pod Save America, when asked about his support for Hong, Sanders replied, “I don’t think so.”
Despite that, Sanders did support her platform, which was highlighted by RNC Research.
Before her defeat, Hong had sidestepped inquiries about why Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) did not back her, as noted by Breitbart News.
The outlet reported that “Establishment-backed Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley upset pollsters and narrowly defeated socialist Francesca Hong to win the Democratic nomination in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary on Tuesday.”
Additionally, it was reported that the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is steadily advancing its goal to influence the Democratic Party during this election cycle.
