Democratic socialists turn to Hong in Wisconsin with hopes for next big win 

State Rep. Francesca Hong’s (D) steady rise in the Wisconsin gubernatorial race is teeing up the biggest test yet for democratic socialists and the far left this election cycle.

Hong has held a strong lead in the Democratic field ahead of Tuesday’s primary, while establishment Democrats, including Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, have rallied around Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. 

Evers and others have suggested Hong is unlikely to beat the GOP’s presumptive nominee, Rep. Tom Tiffany, in November and that she could even have a negative effect on Democrats running in competitive downballot races.  

But Hong argues that voters are frustrated with the establishment and that she’s focused on the issues that matter most to voters as she seeks to become the first modern democratic socialist governor. 

“When people tell me that I’m one of them as the working-class candidate, what Democrats might be — and what other candidates might be getting wrong — is that people want someone that cares,” Hong told The Hill in an interview.  

Democratic socialists and progressives have been on a tear this year, clinching primary nominations and even unseating Democratic incumbents. Yet, most of these victories have been in solidly blue House districts in states such as New York and Colorado. In purple Michigan, however, voters seemed likely to pick progressive Abdul El-Sayed over moderate Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) in the state’s Tuesday Senate primary, as of early Wednesday.   

Hong hopes to capitalize on this winning streak and antiestablishment mood as she and three fellow Democrats jockey to take on Tiffany in the governor’s race on Aug. 11. Evers decided against seeking reelection for a third term, and Cook Political Report rates the open race as a toss-up. 

“I just don’t think anyone can pretend anymore that that isn’t where the energy is on the Democratic side,” said Joe Zepecki, a Democratic strategist based in Wisconsin.

But Hong has come under scrutiny in the........

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