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How mainstream Democrats pulled off a big upset against a democratic socialist

Washington Post Politics Wednesday 12 August 2026, 17:36 UTC By Patrick Marley, Teo Armus, Clara Ence Morse 1 min read
Key Points

For weeks, leftists celebrated and establishment Democrats fretted over what seemed increasingly inevitable: Francesca Hong, a state lawmaker and former restaurant owner, was poised to become the first democratic socialist to win a major-party nomination for statewide office in the modern era. Democracy Dies in Darkness How mainstream Democrats pulled off a big upset against a democratic socialist Francesca Hong, the overwhelming favorite in Wisconsin’s primary for governor, failed to run up...

MIDDLETON, Wis. — For weeks, leftists celebrated and establishment Democrats fretted over what seemed increasingly inevitable: Francesca Hong, a state lawmaker and former restaurant owner, was poised to become the first democratic socialist to win a major-party nomination for statewide office in the modern era. Democracy Dies in Darkness How mainstream Democrats pulled off a big upset against a democratic socialist Francesca Hong, the overwhelming favorite in Wisconsin’s primary for governor, failed to run up her margins among the types of voters who have broken for other democratic socialists.
Democrats (ORG) MIDDLETON (PERSON) Wis. (LOCATION) Francesca Hong (PERSON) democratic (ORG) Wisconsin (LOCATION) socialists (ORG)
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