It’s been a long, hot summer for the Democrat Party’s radical wing. Self-described socialists have been storming primaries from coast to coast, pushing platforms built on abolishing, defunding, and dismantling just about everything. The establishment has mostly watched it happen, too timid or too fractured to mount a serious counteroffensive.

But even the most ambitious revolution has its limits. And somewhere between the ideological fever dreams and the actual ballot box, reality has a way of showing up uninvited.

From the Daily Wire:

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley pulled off a stunning upset Tuesday in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, defeating socialist frontrunner Francesca Hong after polls showed him trailing by double digits just days before the election.

Decision Desk Headquarters called the race early Wednesday morning for Crowley, who reentered the contest only weeks before the primary and earned the backing of outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. With nearly all votes in, Crowley leads his socialist rival by a little over 3,000 votes.

That’s right — in one of the most consequential swing states in the country, Democratic voters themselves just rejected the socialist candidate their party’s base had been rallying behind all summer.

A socialist who wanted to cancel Thanksgiving

So who is Francesca Hong? She’s a 37-year-old state representative, part-time bartender, and dues-paying member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Her platform included abolishing the police, eliminating the United States Senate entirely, and — my personal favorite — canceling Thanksgiving.

“Cancel Thanksgiving. Should have done this in 1621,” Hong wrote in a since-deleted 2020 social media post. “If it takes a worldwide pandemic for us to realize we should stop celebrating colonialism and the original superspreader event that killed indigenous folx and women, so be it.”

She didn’t stop at Turkey Day. Hong dismissed fireworks ahead of Independence Day, called Halloween “not my thing,” and declared that Valentine’s Day brings out “the worst of humanity” because “capitalism tells you how to show love.” During the campaign’s final stretch, she held a rally with left-wing streamer Hasan Piker and Rep. Ilhan Omar. Not exactly the surrogate lineup you’d assemble for a purple state.

Here’s the thing about Thanksgiving. For most Americans, it’s not a political litmus test. It’s grandma’s stuffing recipe. It’s arguing with your uncle about football. It’s a moment to pause and be grateful. When a candidate makes abolishing that tradition part of her brand, she’s not just alienating conservatives. She’s alienating anyone who still owns a roasting pan.

Even her own party couldn’t stomach it

The most revealing part of Hong’s defeat isn’t the result itself — it’s the sheer desperation required to produce it. The Democratic establishment essentially hit the emergency brake. Crowley had already dropped out of the race once. Party insiders recruited him back in as a last-ditch firewall against Hong’s momentum, and outgoing Governor Tony Evers threw his full endorsement behind the effort.

Evers didn’t mince words about Hong’s chances in a general election. “She has spent her entire campaign dealing not with the issues, but what’s on the Twitter,” he said. “I just find that that’s not a good way to beat Tom Tiffany.”

Then there’s this detail: neither Bernie Sanders nor Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Hong. When the two most prominent democratic socialists in America look at your candidacy and decide to sit it out, maybe the platform needs some work.

The spending gap tells its own story. Crowley and allied groups poured roughly $4 million into ads. Hong and her supporters? Less than half a million. An eight-to-one money advantage, and Crowley still won by only about 3,000 votes. The socialist nearly captured a gubernatorial nomination in a state that routinely decides presidential elections. That’s not a comfortable margin. That’s a warning siren.

The real fight ahead

Wisconsin voters now face a clear choice in November. Republican nominee Rep. Tom Tiffany, backed by President Trump, has built his campaign around the concerns that actually keep people up at night — affordability, government bloat, and accountability.

“Let’s get control of our utility rates, which have been skyrocketing,” Tiffany said. “Let’s root out the fraud and waste because we know what’s happening here in Wisconsin.”

No manifestos about canceling holidays. No demands to abolish the Senate. Just a straightforward pitch: government should cost less and work better.

Democrats spent their summer waging an internal civil war over whether to nominate a candidate who thinks Thanksgiving is a colonialist superspreader event. Republicans nominated a guy who wants to lower your electric bill. Wisconsin dodged the socialist experiment once already. Come November, voters get to decide whether they want to close that door for good.

Key Takeaways

• Wisconsin Democrats narrowly defeated a socialist who campaigned on canceling Thanksgiving and abolishing police.
• Even Bernie Sanders and AOC refused to endorse Francesca Hong’s radical bid.
• The Democratic establishment spent roughly eight times more than Hong just to barely survive.
• Republican Tom Tiffany now offers Wisconsin a clear conservative alternative focused on affordability and limited government.

Sources: Daily Wire, NBC News