Yesterday there was an earthquake of sorts in Wisconsin politics. Mandela Barnes, who was considered the early favorite for the Democratic nomination for governor, dropped out of the race. Barnes is pretty far left, but he is a former lieutenant governor who ran a competitive Senate race against Ron Johnson in 2022. In the 2024 version of the Democratic Party, however, he was left in the dust by socialist Francesca Hong.
Hong, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is a former bartender. She is currently a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Madison. She is running away from a few of her more radical positions, like defunding the police. But she is a socialist and has been endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America. Hong is now the prohibitive favorite in the Democrats’ August 11 primary. Outgoing Governor Tony Evers has endorsed Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley in an effort to block Hong, following Barnes’s withdrawal. But Crowley is far behind in the polls.
Does Wisconsin really want a socialist as governor? Despite that state’s progressive histor...
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