Democratic socialist Francesca Hong narrowly lost Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary on August 11, 2026, to David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive. Hong’s defeat came despite a CNBC Generation Lab poll released this month indicating that 46% of Americans aged 18 to 34 hold a favorable or very favorable view of democratic socialism.
The CNBC Generation Lab poll, conducted earlier in August with responses from 1,088 participants, also revealed that 23% of young voters held unfavorable or very unfavorable views of democratic socialism. The survey had a margin of error of 2.97 percentage points. Among respondents, 80% expressed negative sentiment about the U.S. economy, with 45% rating it as "bad" and 27% calling it "really bad."
Hong, who had been leading in pre-election polls, secured 39% of the vote in the primary, while Crowley won by a fraction of a percentage point. The race drew attention as part of a broader trend of democratic socialist candidates running in states including New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Colorado, as well as a mayoral primary in Washington, D.C., earlier in the year.
Hong’s Campaign and Post-Election Remarks
Hong, who had framed her campaign as a movement to “change politics forever,” told supporters the night before the election that the work her campaign had done would be remembered. Despite her loss, she emphasized the long-term impact of her bid, stating, “We built something that will change politics forever.” Crowley’s victory marked a shift toward a more pragmatic approach within the Democratic Party in Wisconsin, as voters consolidated behind a single alternative to Hong.
Economic Sentiment Among Young Voters
The CNBC Generation Lab poll highlighted significant economic dissatisfaction among young voters. When asked to rate the national economy, 6% of respondents said it “couldn’t be worse,” while only 2% described it as “good.” The poll’s findings underscore broader concerns about economic conditions ahead of the midterm elections, with fewer than 90 days remaining before voters head to the polls.
Context of the Primary Races
The Wisconsin primary was one of two closely watched races in the Upper Midwest on August 11. In Minnesota, Mike Lindell, the pillow magnate and ally of former President Donald Trump, also lost his bid for the Republican gubernatorial nomination despite Trump’s endorsement. Lindell’s defeat, like Hong’s, was attributed to a late consolidation of voters behind a more pragmatic candidate.
The outcomes in Wisconsin and Minnesota reflected a broader trend of primary upsets where establishment-backed or pragmatic candidates prevailed over insurgent or ideologically driven challengers. Analysts noted that while Hong had led in polls by as much as 29 percentage points, her support among anti-Hong Democrats coalesced behind Crowley in the final weeks of the campaign. The Marquette University Law School Poll, often cited as Wisconsin’s “gold standard,” had projected a 22-point victory for Hong in late July, but her actual vote share fell short of expectations.