Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong takes to the stage at her primary election watch party at Atwood Music Hall Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, in Madison. Photo: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
In a stunning upset, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley narrowly defeated democratic socialist state Rep. Francesca Hong in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary early Wednesday morning, dealing a setback to the party’s progressive wing in one of the most closely contested political battlegrounds in the United States.
Crowley’s victory came in a dramatic political comeback after Hong had emerged as a leading progressive contender and held a double-digit edge in polling in the closing weeks of the campaign.
Crowley ultimately prevailed by just over 3,000 votes, winning approximately 39.8 percent to Hong’s 39.4 percent, according to results reported after Tuesday’s primary.
The result positions Crowley, a more centrist Democrat, to face Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany in November in a race that could determine the political direction of Wisconsin, a pivotal Midwestern swing state.
The primary represented a closely watched test of the Democratic Party’s ideological trajectory. Hong campaigned as a democratic socialist and progressive outsider, adopting unorthodox policy positions on an array of economic and cultural issues. Hong’s membership in the politically ascendant and anti-Israel group the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) drew heightened scrutiny in the weeks leading up to the election.
In a variety of interviews, Hong accused Israel of committing a “genocide” in Gaza and also promised to repeal the International Holocaust Remembrance Association (IHRA) definition of antisemitism from state law if elected governor.
“Protest is free speech and direct democracy. And right now, we have an anti-BDS [boycott, divestment, and sanctions] law on the books that we’ve had legislation we’ve introduced to repeal, so that the state is not interfering in the right to protest,” she said in an interview with Vox Magazine.
“We have passed the IHRA definition of antisemitism: the IHRA legislation, here in our state, that was quite controversial. I would be looking at potentially repealing that legislation,” she added.
An intergovernmental organization comprising dozens of countries, IHRA adopted the “working definition” of antisemitism in 2016. Since then, the definition has gained widespread support from Jewish organizations and lawmakers around the world, and is now used by hundreds of governmental bodies, including the European Union and the United Nations. However, critics argue that it infringes on free speech by including Holocaust denial and modern forms targeting Israel, such as demonizing the Jewish state and denying its right to exist.
Hong’s anti-Israel posture earned her an endorsement from the Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance (WMCA), citing her “positions on the IHRA definition and Wisconsin’s anti-BDS law.”
“Fran has consistently stood with us on principle, by opposing the IHRA definition, introducing legislation to oppose Wisconsin’s anti-BDS law, and supporting our efforts even when it was not politically convenient,” WMCA wrote in a statement.
Leaders of the BDS movement, which seeks to isolate Israel on the international stage, have repeatedly stated their goal is to destroy the world’s only Jewish state.
Hong also sparked outrage when she co-hosted a campaign fundraising event alongside antisemitic streamer Michael Beyer, who goes by the name “MikeFromPA” online. Beyer has called Jews a “constructed” and “demonic” ethnic group. He has also stated that he aims to expel “Zionists” from the Democratic Party entirely.
The state lawmaker further drew criticism for appearing on the livestream of anti-Israel social media pundit Hasan Piker in June. Piker has a long record of inflammatory rhetoric concerning Israel, Jews, and terrorism. He has expressed support for Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis; cast doubt on documented evidence of sexual violence during Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre; compared Zionism to Nazism; and referred to Orthodox Jews as “inbred,” a remark for which he later expressed regret.
Brushing aside criticism of her association with Piker, Hong invited him for a campaign rally in the lead-up to Election Day.
Crowley, Hong’s opponent, benefited from support from Wisconsin’s Democratic establishment, including outgoing Gov. Tony Evers. His campaign focused heavily on electability and the argument that Democrats needed a candidate capable of building a broad coalition in a closely divided state. Unlike Hong, Crowley adopted more moderate positions on economic and cultural issues and did not center opposition to Israel in his campaign.
Hong also faced attacks over controversial statements and positions from earlier in her political career, including past comments concerning support for abolishing the police and even canceling Thanksgiving. While she subsequently distanced herself from some of those positions, Republicans and other critics repeatedly used them to portray her as outside the political mainstream.
The Wisconsin result comes as progressive and democratic socialist candidates continue to make gains in parts of the Democratic Party, but those victories have not been nationwide. While progressives scored important wins elsewhere in Tuesday’s primaries, Crowley’s victory demonstrates that Democratic voters in a critical swing state remain receptive to candidates emphasizing moderation and general-election viability.
Crowley, who could become Wisconsin’s first Black governor, will now attempt to consolidate Democratic support before turning his attention to Tiffany, a Republican backed by President Donald Trump.
For the Democratic Party, Crowley’s victory offers a counterpoint to the narrative of an accelerating socialist shift within its ranks. Anti-Israel progressives have enjoyed a string of high-profile victories in Michigan, Colorado, and New York City, oftentimes toppling moderates who adopted a more moderate approach to the Jewish state.
For pro-Israel advocates, Hong’s defeat represents a brief reprieve from opponents of the Jewish state securing victories in high-profile Democratic contests.
