Francesca Hong Responds After Primary Loss in Wisconsin

Democrat Francesca Hong made her first statement on Wednesday following her unexpected defeat in the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary.

She took to social media to congratulate her opponent, David Crowley, and expressed her intention to support him in the upcoming general election against Republican Tom Tiffany.

“The past 11 months have been some of the most rewarding of my life. Traveling across the state, engaging with people in various settings—churches, dive bars, bike races, dance parties, and their homes—has shaped every decision we made during the campaign,” she shared. “We aim to keep our supporters informed about our ongoing efforts and what we need from them moving forward.”

Hong emphasized, “This campaign isn’t about just one individual winning an office. Instead, it’s about fostering a movement that prioritizes permanent affordability and a government that serves working people.” She also added, “Our movement remains robust, but there’s still work ahead. I’m incredibly proud of our team and all we’ve accomplished. Congratulations to David Crowley and his team. I fully support him and look forward to collaborating to defeat Congresswoman Tiffany in November.”

David Crowley’s unexpected win over Francesca Hong caught pollsters off guard, especially given the predictions leading up to election day that favored her heavily. Forbes addressed the situation that unfolded:

According to a public opinion poll conducted from July 22 to July 27, Hong had a 38% support rate, followed by Lieutenant Governor Mandela Burns at 16% and Milwaukee County Executive Crowley at 7%.

This poll was taken just three days before Burns exited the race on July 30 and shortly after Crowley re-entered on July 18, having stepped back for ten days.

In a previous poll from July 8 to July 16, before Crowley’s withdrawal, Hong led with 26% support, while Burns had 15%, and Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez, who withdrew on July 17, garnered 11%.

Other analysts noted that Crowley’s moderate stance demonstrated that a Socialist Party candidate like Hong could indeed face defeat.

“For several weeks, mainstream Democrats have been contesting the narrative pushed by the Democratic Socialists of America and, what I consider, radical progressivism, attempting to distance themselves from candidates who support controversial rallies and slogans like ‘defund the police’ and ‘abolish ICE,'” remarked Susan Del Percio from MSNOW.

She added that Crowley’s narrow victory over the DSA-aligned Hong in the primary was somewhat beneficial, but only to a limited extent.