Francesca Hong, a prominent democratic socialist in Wisconsin politics, was dealt a stunning defeat Tuesday night in the state’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, a closely watched contest seen as part of the broader struggle over the party’s direction.
The result was especially striking because pre-election polling had shown Hong ahead of her closest opponent by nearly 20 points. Her loss was one of several unexpected twists in a dramatic primary night that also included a veteran Connecticut congressman being voted out, a Trump-backed contender falling badly in Minnesota, and Darline Graham, sister of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, advancing to a special runoff for his seat.
Here are five major takeaways from another high-stakes night of primary election results.
1. The far-left’s kryptonite: Turkey Day
For future socialist candidates, one lesson may be clear: think carefully before taking aim at Thanksgiving.
Unless Hong eventually mounts a successful comeback for higher office, her 2024 Wisconsin campaign may be remembered most for a controversy over her past criticism of Thanksgiving, one of the country’s most familiar and widely celebrated holidays.
Hong, 37, had only recently won a seat in the Wisconsin Legislature when she referred to Thanksgiving as a “colonizer holiday” in a November 2020 post on X that has since been deleted.
The old post was already politically difficult to explain, but the issue resurfaced last week when Hong gave a lengthy 46-second response on the subject during an interview with CNN’s Kaitlin Collins. Her answer is included below in full:
“I’m a chef, and one of the first meals that I made that was for the community when I was 16 was a Thanksgiving meal. I always think my hospitality background and owning a restaurant for seven,eight years, that bringing folks around the table to share conversation and build community is always a good thing.
“But Thanksgiving is also a time that’s incredibly painful for many people in our communities. So I think there I wanted to make sure people understood there are multiple views, but views can evolve.
“And the position I’m running for right now — and I think my background as a chef will actually help me become a better governor that’s able to bring more people to the table.”
No further questions, your Honor.
Wisely realizing she had stepped in it, Hong told Politico’s Playbook podcast days later that her “favorite holiday is Thanksgiving” and “I actually love it,” but she’s just “kind of a curmudgeon when it comes to holidays in general” — which is backed up by other social media posts ranting about Valentine’s Day, the Fourth of July, Christmas, Halloween, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
It was all enough to send Wisconsin’s Democratic power brokers sprinting to line up behind Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who re-entered the race just in time to prevent a Hong victory from making them national punch lines.
2. Graham name faces ultimate test in South Carolina
Sen. Darline Graham Nordone advanced to an Aug. 25 runoff election against Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) in the special GOP primary to hold onto her late brother Lindsey’s Senate seat following his abrupt death July 11.
Nordone, who was endorsed by President Trump, garnered 32.7% of the vote to Norman’s 24.6%, both coming up well short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff.
The 62-year-old, who has never held elected office and is getting a five-and-a-half week crash course in campaigning, dominated rural regions of the Palmetto State’s Lowcountry, her late brother’s main political base. However, she performed less impressively in suburban areas around Charleston and the state capitol, Columbia — where many of the voters backed former Gov. Mark Sanford.
Nordone and Norman, who ran up big margins in northern counties around the city of Greenville, will battle for those Sanford voters as well as Republicans in the area around Myrtle Beach, who opted for another eliminated candidate, Rep. Russell Fry.
Whoever wins the runoff will be favored to keep the seat in Republican hands when they face Democratic pediatrician Annie Andrews in November.
3. Year of the woman in Minnesota
One of the most liberal states in America will have its first-ever female governor next year, no matter who wins the general election between Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Republican state House Speaker Lisa Demuth after both emerged victorious from their respective primaries.
Whoever succeeds outgoing Gov. Tim Walz will have to deal with the fallout from the theft of up to $9 billion in taxpayer money via several sprawling social services scams.
Demuth, the first black lawmaker and first Republican woman to serve as speaker of the Minnesota House, campaigned on a fraud-fighting agenda – pledging to immediately take steps to enact a “Fraud Prevention Plan” if elected.
At her election night watch party, Demuth argued that as governor, Klobuchar would be “2.0 Tim Walz” and claimed the 20-year Capitol Hill vet “has never protected our taxpayer dollars.”
“Not once did she talk about fraud until she started running for governor,” Demuth said. “Her eyes have been on either being president or working in Washington.”
On the campaign trail, Klobuchar pledged to take a tough approach to tackling fraud, including by conducting a “top-to-bottom audit” of state agencies starting “on day one.”
Klobuchar is a heavy favorite to win the general election in November. The last Republican elected governor in the Land of 10,000 Lakes was Tim Pawlenty way back in 2006.
Elsewhere, progressives stung by Francesca Hong’s loss in Wisconsin could take a measure of solance in Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan defeating Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) in the primary to replace retiring Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.)
Flanagan, a progressive who campaigned on “Medicare for all” and ending US aid to Israel, was endorsed by socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), lefty Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and “Squad” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). Craig, a centrist swing-district congresswoman, was backed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
Flanagan will face Republican nominee Michele Tafoya – a former NFL sideline reporter who campaigned on being a political outsider that can bring common sense to Washington – in the general election.
4. Minnesota Republicans sleep on Mike Lindell despite Trump backing
MyPillow founder Mike Lindell lost the Republican gubernatorial primary in Minnesota by 11 percentage points despite a glowing endorsement from President Trump.
“Mike Lindell deserves a BIG WIN IN MINNESOTA today,” Trump wrote on Truth Social hours before polls closed. “Nobody has worked harder, and given up so much, in fighting for free and fair Elections.”
The president, who narrowly lost the state during his winning 2016 and 2024 campaign, urged residents to “go out, NOW, and VOTE for Mike Lindell for Governor,” adding: “He will not let you down.”
Lindell, one of several Trump allies who boosted claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged, reportedly refused to concede Tuesday night citing “anomalies” that his campaign wanted to look into.
5. Change comes to Connecticut
Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), who has served in the House of Representatives since 1999, lost his primary Tuesday to a challenger 32 years his junior.
Larson, 78, was easily defeated by former Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, who led the incumbent by 21.6 percentage points in the Nutmeg State’s sprawling 1st District, which is anchored by the capital city and stretches from Torrington in the northwest to Middletown in the south and curls west to include Bristol — worldwide headquarters of ESPN.
Bronin, a US Navy Reserve officer who spent eight years as mayor of the Insurance City, received a monumental boost in May after he secured the endorsement of the Connecticut Democratic Party, a first for a non-incumbent.
“There is this feeling of getting prepared and ready for the next generation of leadership,” Jimmy Tickey, vice chairman of the Connecticut Democratic Party, said at the time.
Larson faced mounting concerns about his health and age after a frightening incident on the House floor last year, in which the congressman stalled and seemingly froze while delivering a speech.
His office said Larson suffered a complex partial seizure.
