Francesca Hong leads Wisconsin governor poll as DSA-backed candidate

A socialist-backed candidate is leading the field in a high-stakes Democratic gubernatorial showdown in battleground Wisconsin.

Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong, a Democratic Socialists of America member, commands 26% support among likely Democratic primary voters, according to a Marquette Law School poll released this week. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes trails at 15%, with nearly half of respondents still undecided. Hong's campaign focuses on guaranteed paid leave and a one-year moratorium on AI data center construction in Wisconsin. She has secured backing from prominent progressives including Reps. Ilhan Omar and Ro Khanna. The candidate has faced scrutiny over years-old social media posts calling for police defunding and abolition. Her campaign says she no longer supports cutting police budgets or abolishing police departments. In hypothetical general election matchups against likely Republican nominee Tom Tiffany, Barnes performs better (44%-40%) than Hong (43%-40%), though both remain competitive. The August 11 primary represents a larger ideological struggle between progressive and establishment Democrats competing in a crucial swing state.