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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 (DSA) member, stands at 26% support among voters likely to cast a ballot in the state’s Aug. 11 Democratic primary for governor, according to a Marquette Law School poll released this week.
Former Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who narrowly lost the state’s 2022 U.S. Senate election to GOP Sen. Ron Johnson, stood at second place in the survey at 15%, with nearly half of those questioned still undecided. Hong and Barnes are part of a crowded field of Democrats in the race to succeed retiring Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
The primary is also shaping up, along with the Aug. 4 Democratic Senate primary in Michigan, as a key statewide showdown in a crucial swing state between the far-left and the center-left establishment for the ideological future of the party.
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Francesca Hong, a Democratic state lawmaker and socialist candidate for Wisconsin governor, speaks to voters at a retirement home, Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (Scott Bauer/AP Photo)
Hong, who is backed by Wisconsin-based DSA chapters, has also landed the support of top nationally known progressives, including Reps. Ilhan Omar of neighboring Minnesota and Ro Khanna of California, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender.
Her platform includes guaranteed paid leave as well as a one-year moratorium in Wisconsin on building AI data centers. Hong has faced scrutiny over years-old social media posts calling for defunding and abolishing the police. Her campaign says she no longer supports cutting police budgets or abolishing police departments.
In the poll, Wisconsin’s current lieutenant governor, Sara Rodriguez, received 11% support. Rodriguez dropped out of the race last week, after the poll was conducted, following controversy over her campaign’s mishandling of financial reports.
When Rodriguez’s supporters’ votes were transferred to their second choice, the poll indicated Hong leading Barnes by a slightly smaller 27% to 18% margin.
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Then-Senate candidate Mandela Barnes is seen leaving a canvas launch event on Nov. 7, 2022, in Glendale, Wisconsin. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Two other Democratic candidates, former Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan and state Sen. Kelda Roys, registered in the low single digits.
After Rodriguez suspended her campaign, former Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley jumped back into the race. Crowley had recently dropped out to back Rodriguez.
Evers, who decided against seeking a third term as Wisconsin governor, quickly backed Crowley, calling him the “best candidate” to defeat Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany in November.
Tiffany is on a glide path to capture the Republican nomination as he faces off with long-shot medical service technician Andy Manske in the GOP primary.
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Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., cheers as Donald Trump is announced as the winner of Wisconsin’s electoral college votes during a joint session of Congress in the House chamber on Monday, January 6, 2025 (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The poll indicates Barnes edging Tiffany 44%-40% in a hypothetical general election matchup, with Hong trailing Tiffany 43%-40%.
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The survey was conducted July 8-16, with 838 Wisconsin registered voters, including 695 likely voters, questioned.
The poll’s overall sampling error is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points, with a margin of error of plus or minus 6.1 percentage points for likely Democratic primary voters.