After a string of primary successes this month in deep-blue corners of the country, democratic socialists will face a major test of whether their appeal can translate to a battleground state later this summer.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.In Wisconsin, a lengthy list of Democrats are competing to be the next governor, including Lt.
Gov.Sara Rodriguez, who serves alongside retiring Gov.
Tony Evers, and former Lt.Gov.
Mandela Barnes, who narrowly lost the 2022 Senate race in the state.But it’s been another candidate — state Rep.
Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist — who has unexpectedly seen a surge of momentum in recent weeks in a field that lacks a clear front-runner.Hong has been at the top of the limited public polling ahead of the August primary and placed second this month in a straw poll at the Wisconsin Democratic Party convention.As the contest enters its final stretch, Hong is seeking to capitalize on victories by democratic socialists and their allies across the country.
On Tuesday, three candidates backed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani won House primaries, including two that featured Democratic incumbents.That followed democratic socialist candidates winning the Democratic primary for mayor in Washington, D.C., and advancing to a runoff in the Los Angeles mayoral race.
“It’s a great day to be a democratic socialist,” Hong posted on X on Wednesday.“Wisconsin is next!”But those recent democratic socialist wins have all been in mayoral or congressional primaries in solidly Democratic urban centers.
The challenge for Hong — who represents liberal Madison in the Legislature and has faced scrutiny for her past calls to defund and abolish the police — is making a similar campaign viable in a statewide primary in one of the most closely divided places politically in the country.“The socialist label is less scary to people than it used to be, and people are...