Midwestern progressives pulled mixed results in the 2026 Democratic primary elections on Tuesday evening, as socialist Francesca Hong’s unexpected loss to centrist David Crowley in Wisconsin’s governor’s race dealt a blow to the momentum built by leftists such as Abdul el Sayed and Peggy Flanagan.
Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, defied nearly all primary polls in Wisconsin when he bested Hong, a state representative, by relying on his centrist positions built around expanding the middle class and creating union jobs in the state. Hong, who campaigned on free school meals and raising taxes on the rich, had led by double-digit percentage points in polls but ultimately fell to Crowley by a little over 3,000 votes as of Wednesday morning.
Hong’s loss is a major setback for the socialist agenda in Wisconsin, but it also swims against the tide of her fellow Midwestern progressives, who saw success in their August primaries.
Also on Tuesday night, progressive Lt. Gov. Flanagan (D-MN) toppled centrist Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN) in Minnesota’s Democratic Senate primary by nearly a 20-percentage-point margin. Flanagan overcame a $2.5 million cash-on-hand disadvantage by hitting Craig hard on her vote for the Laken Riley Act and her more middle-of-the-road record.
Flanagan’s win despite her fundraising disadvantage mirrored that of her Michigan counterpart, el Sayed, who defeated centrist Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) this month. El Sayed defeated Stevens by more than 15,000 votes, a 1-percentage-point margin, after hitting Stevens hard on her outside support from AIPAC-affiliated groups and emphasizing his push for “Medicare for all.” El Sayed’s race was much closer than anticipated, as the leftist had led Stevens by double digits in several polls.
There are several through-lines in the progressive races over the past few weeks nationwide, including that Hong lacked the strong, established support of and campaigning from big-name progressive politicians, something both Flanagan and el Sayed boasted in abundance.
Hong was the most progressive of the Midwestern leftists, identifying as a socialist, while both Flanagan and el Sayed shied away from that label. Hong failed to get endorsements from high-profile leftists such as Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who each endorsed both Flanagan and el Sayed. Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN), however, did endorse her.
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Further, both Flanagan and el Sayed took on AIPAC, Israeli funding, and the conflict in Gaza as major issues in their races, each going up against candidates who were backed by AIPAC and strong supporters of Israel.
But the issue of AIPAC funding was not as central to Wisconsin’s race, especially with it being at the state level, where congressional military aid to Israel is not under its jurisdiction. Hong was critical of Israel, however, during the primary.