A DSA governor? Francesca Hong tests whether socialism can win statewide in Wisconsin

Published July 10, 2026 6:00am ET



After a string of victories in Democratic primaries across the country, socialists are setting their sights on one of their most ambitious targets yet: the Wisconsin governor’s mansion.

State Rep. Francesca Hong, a Madison lawmaker backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, has emerged as a leading contender in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, giving the movement its first serious opportunity to nominate a socialist for governor in one of the nation’s premier battleground states.

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