Sanders Defends Lack of Endorsement for Hong After Primary Loss

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) is addressing his decision not to endorse Francesca Hong, the socialist candidate for governor in Wisconsin, following her unexpected defeat. He emphasized, “we have limited resources,” which influenced his choice.

Hong has stirred controversy with her views on various American holidays, infamously stating, “I want to cancel Thanksgiving completely.” In the gubernatorial primary, she lost by a mere 0.5 percentage points to David Crowley, which translates to fewer than 4,000 votes. This result was surprising, especially given that earlier polls had often placed Hong ahead, sometimes by a wide margin.

Some very left-leaning voters have directed blame toward Sanders and others in the Socialist Party for not backing Hong. However, Sanders has brushed off these complaints, telling Politico, “My answer is that we have limited resources and capacity, and there are a lot of really great candidates running for office that we don’t endorse.” He explained, “I can’t support every candidate. We have to make a choice. I think Ms. Hong has run a very good, very strong grassroots movement and has involved a lot of people. I commend her for that.”

Interestingly, both Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez supported Zoran Mamdani in his successful campaign for mayor of New York and similarly backed Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed in his Michigan Senate race.

In an interview, Sanders pointed out the victories of candidates he endorsed, like Flanagan and Rebecca Cook in Wisconsin’s 3rd District, and Matt Little in Minnesota. He remarked, “Needless to say, I feel great. Americans are beginning to realize that our economy is rigged, and that working families are suffering while the very rich are getting richer.”

It’s also worth noting that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez did not endorse Hong during the campaign, despite her backing of other far-left candidates. When asked about it, Hong chose not to criticize either lawmaker, showing respect for their positions.

Hong had expressed her dedication to flipping Congress and the Senate in midterm elections, highlighting her commitment to reaching as many voters as possible until polls closed. She implied there might have been reasons for the lack of support from Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, mentioning her background.

Moreover, Hong has made headlines with some of her extreme comments, including a past incident where she claimed to have left a restaurant because she felt unsafe surrounded by elderly white patrons. She has also stated her ideal society would not include prisons, leading to speculation that Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez want to distance themselves from such statements.

After her surprising loss, Hong clarified that her campaign was about more than just individual candidates; it aimed to “build a movement for permanent affordability and a government that puts workers first.” She praised her team’s efforts, stating, “Our movement is strong, but the work is not done yet. I am overwhelmingly proud of our team and the work they have done to achieve that goal. Congratulations to David Crowley and his team. I fully support him and look forward to working with him to defeat Congresswoman Tiffany in November.”