Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is urging Republicans in his state to resist the temptation to meddle in the Democratic gubernatorial primary by backing socialist state Rep. Francesca Hong, warning that such gamesmanship could saddle Wisconsin with a dangerously radical governor.
According to the New York Post, Walker used his X account on Sunday to caution conservatives against crossing over in Tuesdays open primary to support Hong, who some Republicans view as an easier opponent in November. Crossing over to vote for Francesca Hong is a big risk because she would be VERY dangerous if she was Governor, Walker wrote, underscoring his belief that her ideology poses a serious threat regardless of perceived short-term political advantage.
Wisconsins election laws require both parties to hold open primaries, allowing voters to choose which partys contest to participate in on Election Day. That system has fueled talk among some GOP voters of backing the most extreme Democrat, but Walkers warning reflects a broader conservative concern that left-wing radicals can no longer be counted on to lose in a polarized electorate.
Polls show Hong, 37, with a strong lead over Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and three other Democrats, even as her ultra-woke record has drawn renewed scrutiny. A member of the Democratic Socialists of America, Hong argued in November 2021 that Thanksgiving should be scrapped because of its colonialist undertones, a stance that resonates with the far left but alienates many traditional voters.
Pressed on CNN last week, Hong claimed the holiday is also a time thats incredibly painful for many people in our communities before retreating from her earlier position and insisting she did not want to abolish it. She has taken a similar tack on law enforcement, now saying she would not abolish the police, despite previously calling for exactly that, a reversal that conservatives see as pure political calculation.
In a viral Fox News interview last month, Hong refused to distance herself from the DSA platform and declined to disavow left-wing streamer Hasan Piker, who infamously declared in 2019 that America deserved 9/11. Even some national progressives appear wary, with Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez notably withholding endorsements, a sign that Hongs brand of radicalism may be too toxic even for the Squads standard-bearers.
While Democrats battle over how far left to go, Rep. Tom Tiffany is overwhelmingly favored to secure the Republican nomination and currently leads Hong by 1.7 percentage points in the RealClearPolitics average. Outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has been scrambling to boost Crowley, openly warning that a Hong victory would be a political gift to Republicans in November, a rare admission that the partys activist base is out of step with swing voters.
Walker, Wisconsins last Republican governor, has pledged to remain firmly in the GOP primary, backing Tiffany for governor, Will Martin for lieutenant governor, and Eric Toney for attorney general. It will not be easy, but @TomTiffanyWI can defeat either Hong or Crowley if he stays on message: cutting red tape, limiting spending & lowering property taxes will help push down costs while the radical views of the others will drive up costs, he wrote, framing the race as a stark choice between conservative governance and an experiment in socialist ideology.
Login