In a number of American states, on Tuesday, August 11, primaries (primary elections) were held ahead of the general elections in November this year. Local media call the most unexpected result the loss of democratic socialist Francesca Hong in the fight for nomination for governor of Wisconsin.
In November, the United States will elect a new House of Representatives, a third of the Senate, and a number of gubernatorial and other local races. Elections like this year's are called midterms because they take place in the middle of a presidential term and are largely perceived as a referendum on the performance of the current administration.
Primaries in most states are conducted along party lines, but voters vote in them. The preliminary cycle takes place over several months before the election.
A former chef and local legislator, Hong was considered the favorite in Wisconsin but ultimately lost by less than one percent to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. The latter is a representative of the “moderate” camp and has secured the official support of the current governor, Democrat Tony Evers, who did not run for a third term. Crowley thanked his opponent in his victory speech and said he planned to involve her in his campaign.
David Crowley: “I especially want to thank Rep. Francesca Hong. Her campaign reminded people across Wisconsin that there are no long shots when it comes to believing in a better future and fighting to expand opportunities to every family… the real opponent has always been Tom… pic.twitter.com/mnfOHsxYUg
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 12, 2026
The results among Democrats in neighboring Minnesota, on the contrary, confirmed the trend toward a “left turn.” Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan won the Democratic race for the state's U.S. senatorial nomination.
The candidate, like her colleagues in the progressive wing of the party, advocates for the expansion of the federal health care program Medicare to all US residents, women's rights and against lobbying in American politics. By the way, Flanagan is a member of the indigenous Ojibwe people, and her other name in the tribal language means “speaking loud and clear.”
Experts interviewed by RTVI noted that the progressive wing among Democrats has really gained popularity in recent years, but whether this can lead to success for candidates in November in the fight against Republicans is still unclear.
Local Michigan politician Mikal Goodman, who was a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and is familiar with physician Abdul El-Sayed, who won his primary on August 4 (he is competing for a seat in the Senate), noted that the overall situation is connected to the core of the issues that left-wing candidates address.
“The voter votes primarily with his wallet. The voter votes by what he, as they say, can eat for dinner. Democratic socialists are fighting for ordinary citizens to have the opportunity to live a better life,” Goodman emphasized in an interview with RTVI.
Political scientist and former senior House GOP analyst John Pitney agreed that “moderation” and centrism typically don't translate well into successful campaigns, but he singled out at least one unpopular idea that could hinder Democratic Socialists in November.
“If I were advising Democratic candidates, which I usually don’t do, I would advise them to stay away from the topic of defunding the police,” Pitney said, adding that this also includes more recent slogans about disbanding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
As Axios notes, Crowley's success in Wisconsin could be due precisely to concerns about Hong's “electability” in the fight for the governor's post with Republican Tom Tiffany. The US congressman won his primary with the official support of President Donald Trump and received more than 95% of the vote, according to the Associated Press (AP). Wisconsin is one of the so-called swing states, where they support one party or another.
“Crowley’s victory could breathe new life into the center-left camp, which has been losing one primary after another in recent months,” the publication believes.
