DSA-Backed Wisconsin State Rep. Leads Democratic Gubernatorial Primary, Though Trails GOP Favorite in General Election Matchup

Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, has emerged as the frontrunner in the state’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, commanding 26% support among likely primary voters, according to a Marquette Law School poll released this week. The Aug. 11 primary represents a pivotal contest within the Democratic Party between progressive and establishment factions as voters prepare to select a successor to retiring Gov. Tony Evers.

Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who lost a narrowly decided 2022 U.S. Senate race to Republican Ron Johnson, placed second with 15% support in the survey. Nearly half of respondents remained undecided, reflecting the fractured nature of the Democratic field competing in the Wisconsin race.

Hong has secured backing from national progressive figures, including Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Ro Khanna of California. Her platform emphasizes guaranteed paid leave and proposes a one-year moratorium on artificial intelligence data center construction within the state. Critics have highlighted past social media posts in which Hong called for police defunding and abolition, though her campaign clarified she no longer advocates for reducing police budgets or dismantling police departments.

Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez garnered 11% support but withdrew from the race last week following controversy over her campaign’s financial reporting practices. When Rodriguez’s supporters were reallocated to their second choices, Hong’s lead over Barnes widened slightly to 27% versus 18%.

Former Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley reentered the race after initially backing Rodriguez. Gov. Evers quickly endorsed Crowley, describing him as the strongest candidate to face Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany in the general election.

General election polling shows mixed results for Democrats. Barnes narrowly leads Tiffany 44% to 40%, while Hong trails the Republican 43% to 40%. The Marquette poll surveyed 838 Wisconsin registered voters, including 695 likely primary voters, between July 8 and 16, with a sampling error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points overall and plus or minus 6.1 percentage points for Democratic primary voters.