WASHINGTON — Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley narrowly upset Democratic socialist Francesca Hong in Wisconsin's Democratic gubernatorial primary Tuesday night, despite polls showing Hong in front by double digits in the final stretch before polling day.
Crowley's campaign said the 37-year-old state legislator and member of the Democratic Socialists of America called Crowley early Wednesday to concede the race. Hong trailed her rival by more than 3,200 votes out of more than 787,000 ballots cast as of 6 a.m. ET — a margin of 0.41 percentage points.
Under Wisconsin law, Hong could have requested a recount since she trailed by under one percentage point, but she would have had to pay for it because her deficit was greater than 0.25 percentage points. State law does not provide for automatic recounts in close races.
Crowley, 40, was the late choice of Wisconsin's Democratic establishment after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez and her predecessor Mandela Barnes dropped out of the race in recent weeks. Crowley had initially dropped out and endorsed Rodriguez last month, but re-entered the race in an effort to stop Hong after Barnes quit.
"To Francesca [Hong], Kelda [Roys], Joel [Brennan] and every candidate who shared their vision for Wisconsin, thank you. They challenged all of us to think bigger about what our state can become," Crowley's campaign manager Garren Randolph said in a statement name-checking his candidate's primary rivals.
"From day one, this campaign has been about what comes next for Wisconsin: making life more affordable, strengthening our schools, creating good-paying jobs, and making sure opportunity reaches every corner of our state," he added.
"Now, David is focused on bringing people together, earning the support of Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and anyone who believes Wisconsin is at its best when we work together and deliver results. David is ready to get back to work, build a broad coalition, and win in November."
"Our team campaigned clean, our souls are intact and we really made meaningful change for the progressive movement," Hong's campaign manager Becky Cooper said after she conceded, while the candidate herself told supporters Tuesday night in Madison: "We have built something that will change politics forever."
Crowley, who will face GOP Rep. Tom Tiffany in the November general election, would be the Badger State's first ever black governor.
"I am so proud of David — he's the future of our Party, and I can't wait for him to be our next governor. For now, we polka. Tomorrow, we're back at work to win," outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers wrote on X early Wednesday. "Tom Tiffany, we'll see you in November."
Hong, who campaigned on hiking taxes for the rich, was snapped wearing black Air Jordan sneakers with a blue jacket and matching heart-printed socks while casting her ballot on Tuesday. The sneakers can retail online for $300.
The card-carrying DSA member had in recent weeks found herself backtracking in media interviews from past statements in favor of abolishing police departments and canceling Thanksgiving Day. She even railed against Valentine's Day.
"Police exist to uphold white supremacy," she had posted on Twitter, now X, in October 2021. "Defund then abolish. Reform can't be an option."
The year before, Hong had also posted, "Cancel Thanksgiving. Should have done this in 1621," in a now-deleted tweet.
She's since disavowed both of those statements. "I've cooked many great Thanksgiving dinners," she told CBS News ahead of the primary election, "and I'm not going to cancel Thanksgiving."
But critics in both Republican and Democratic circles expressed concerns that Hong's past radical comments — and policies — would spell trouble for her in the November general election.
Two of the biggest socialist names in US politics, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), kept their distance from Hong after campaigning hard for far-left Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed ahead of his primary win last week in nearby Michigan.
"She is a font of zany liberal, faculty lounge exotica," wrote ex-Barack Obama adviser David Axelrod of Hong in an X post last week.
"This tweet is a perfect example of why the consultant class keeps losing elections," responded Hong, a former dishwasher, line cook and chef who dropped out of the University of Wisconsin. "They're totally clueless, and they're hellbent on keeping working-class people out of politics. I've spent more time in kitchens than faculty lounges."
"Perhaps you'd like to come to Wisconsin and work a Friday night dinner rush with me?" she taunted.
Crowley deftly positioned himself in the moderate lane, telling reporters Monday: "There are a lot of people who are scared."
"She is a self-proclaimed socialist. There are a lot of people worried about not just this party, but this country moving in that direction," added Crowley, who had reminded Wisconsin Democrats a day earlier: "Our ultimate goal is to make sure we don't have a MAGA extremist occupying the governor's office."
In an interview with Politico Friday, Evers wouldn't commit to backing Hong if she won the primary. "I want to have a chance to take a breath, and once that's in a position, we'll see," he said, adding: "But I anticipate that David will win."
