WASHINGTON (August 12, 2026) — Today, Will Marshall, President of the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI), issued the following statement on Tuesday’s Wisconsin primary elections:
“David Crowley’s stunning upset of State Rep. Francesca Hong in yesterday’s Wisconsin Democratic primary contest for governor underscores the vulnerability of democratic socialists in general elections. Hong, dogged by past social media posts calling for abolishing police and canceling Thanksgiving, managed to blow a 20-point lead as Democrats staged an eleventh hour rally around Crowley, the pragmatic Milwaukee Executive endorsed by Wisconsin’s popular governor, Tony Evers.
“Following Abdul El-Sayed’s closer-than-expected victory in last week’s Michigan Democratic primary, the outcome showed again that far-left candidates are more popular with white college graduates than with working class voters. That’s a big problem in crucial swing states like Michigan and Wisconsin, where non-college voters hold the political balance of power.
“Pragmatic liberals and moderates are more representative of the Democratic Party’s center of gravity and thus make stronger general election candidates. The democratic socialist strategy of pushing Democrats farther left, especially on cultural issues like immigration, crime and gender, can only compound their difficulty in reaching working Americans, who already see the party as too liberal.
“The left did score a victory in Minnesota, where Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan won the Democratic nomination for Senate over moderate Rep. Angie Craig. But it’s worth distinguishing that Flanagan is a rank-and-file progressive rather than a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. While it still wasn’t the outcome pragmatic Democrats preferred, Minnesota is a more reliably blue state traumatized by President Trump’s unleashing of ICE on civilian protesters. Nominating far-left candidates is a riskier bet in the other midwestern battleground states.”
Founded in 1989, PPI is a catalyst for policy innovation and political reform based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to create radically pragmatic ideas for moving America beyond ideological and partisan deadlock. Find an expert and learn more about PPI by visiting progressivepolicy.org. Follow us at @ppi.
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Media Contact: Ian O’Keefe – iokeefe@ppionline.org
