Francesca Hong's Wisconsin gubernatorial campaign highlights a curious rift within the Democratic Party's progressive wing. Despite running as a progressive candidate in a race that should energize national party figures, Hong has failed to attract endorsements from prominent progressives like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, both of whom have actively campaigned for candidates elsewhere this cycle.
The absence signals a strategic calculation by national progressive leaders. Other Democratic candidates in competitive races have become the focus of Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez's organizing efforts, suggesting these figures view certain contests as higher priority. Hong's campaign in Wisconsin, a state Democrats see as potentially winnable in the gubernatorial race, has not moved these national figures to mobilize their significant grassroots networks on her behalf.
This dynamic contradicts the typical pattern where progressive challengers and insurgent candidates receive enthusiastic backing from Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez's political organizations. The two have become kingmakers within the Democratic Party, capable of driving volunteer turnout, small-dollar fundraising, and media attention to allied campaigns.
Hong's struggle to secure high-profile progressive support despite ideological alignment raises questions about resource allocation within the left wing of the Democratic Party. National progressive leaders must choose which races warrant their limited time and political capital. Their silence on Hong's race suggests other candidates or electoral battlegrounds have emerged as more compelling investments for 2024 or beyond.
The outcome of Hong's campaign could test whether national progressive endorsements remain essential for viable Democratic candidacies. If Hong succeeds without Sanders or Ocasio-Cortez's backing, it demonstrates progressive candidates can win through local organizing and state-level networks. A loss might conversely reinforce the dependency on national progressive figures whose endorsements drive momentum and resources. Either way, the campaign reveals friction in calculating which races deserve progressive movement resources during an election cycle with multiple competing priorities.
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