Francesca Hong, a 37-year-old democratic socialist state representative from Madison, is set to lead the Wisconsin Democratic primary for governor tomorrow with commanding polling numbers that far outpace her rivals in a crowded four-candidate field.
The final State Navigate poll, released August 7, showed Hong at 44 percent support, a 22-point lead over Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who polled at 15 percent. A final Marquette Law School poll released August 10 found Hong with 38 percent support among all Democratic primary voters, with particularly strong backing among younger voters—66 percent among ages 18 to 29.
Hong’s frontrunner status represents a significant moment for the Democratic Party in a battleground state. She is a former chef and restaurant owner who first won election to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2020 and is running openly as a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Her grassroots campaign has centered on cost-of-living affordability, tapping into voter concerns about housing, healthcare, and wages that have fueled her rise across the primary field.
Hong faces three opponents in tomorrow’s primary: Crowley, state Senator Kelda Roys, and Joel Brennan, a former top aide to Governor Tony Evers. The field narrowed to four candidates in late July when Mandela Barnes, a former U.S. Senate candidate who had been polling in second place, withdrew from the race on July 31.
Her momentum reflects a broader wave of democratic socialist primary victories across the country. In June 2025, Zohran Mamdani won New York City’s mayoral race, and in June 2026, democratic socialist Melat Kiros, age 29, defeated 15-term Colorado Representative Diana DeGette in a major upset. According to The Guardian, Hong’s grassroots campaign has made her a frontrunner despite public skepticism from some top Democrats about her general-election viability in a state that will be crucial to the 2026 midterms.
The winner of tomorrow’s Wisconsin Democratic primary will face the likely Republican nominee, U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany, in November’s general election. Concerns have been raised by some Democratic establishment figures about whether Hong, as an openly socialist candidate, can prevail in a general election, but her commanding primary lead suggests that Democratic voters, especially younger ones, are energized by her message of economic justice and affordability.
Sources
- State Navigate — final poll showing Hong at 44%, Crowley at 15%, released August 7, 2026
- Marquette Law School — final primary poll showing Hong at 38% overall, 66% among ages 18-29, released August 10
- 19th News — profile of Hong as 37-year-old democratic socialist frontrunner
- The Guardian — reporting on Hong’s grassroots campaign and Democratic concerns about general-election viability
- Time — analysis of the primary race and Crowley as the moderate alternative
- Politico — reporting on Hong as frontrunner fueled by populist campaign on cost-of-living issues
- Wisconsin Watch — final Marquette poll data and candidate breakdown
- Wall Street Journal — profile of Hong as bartender and state representative leading in Marquette poll
- Colorado News Line — reporting on Melat Kiros’s upset victory over Diana DeGette as comparable precedent
- PBS Wisconsin — reporting on four-candidate field after Mandela Barnes’s withdrawal
