The Most Dangerous Socialists Are Running for Governor

Francesca Hong ultimately lost the primary, but her near-victory should serve as a wake-up call, according to Brooke Medina writing in Washington Examiner. Socialist candidates are now within striking distance of controlling governorships, positions that wield vastly more direct power over citizens’ daily lives than a single congressional seat.

The stakes are particularly high given that 36 states, including Wisconsin, are electing governors this November. Yet these races receive far less national attention than congressional contests, despite governors exercising enormous influence over the 5.9 million residents of Wisconsin and similar populations across America.

A state governor functions as chief executive, overseeing agencies that control education, healthcare, business regulation, and public safety. Unlike a member of Congress who casts one vote among hundreds, a governor provides the essential approval on policies that directly affect constituents. Wisconsin’s governor also possesses partial veto power, including the authority to strike individual words, letters, and numbers from budget bills — an exceptionally powerful tool.

Hong’s close call follows just days after Abdul el Sayed secured the Democratic nomination for Senate in Michigan. While not formally a DSA member, el Sayed champions similar policies including Medicare for All, wealth taxes targeting billionaires, and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The distinction between their potential impact is critical. El Sayed would be one senator among 535 lawmakers, further constrained by the filibuster and an executive branch that increasingly governs through presidential orders. A Governor Hong, by contrast, would face far fewer institutional obstacles. She would sign or veto budgets, appoint agency heads, and establish regulatory policy without needing 60 votes or cooperation from another chamber.

Washington remains largely paralyzed, with Congress inactive for years and each new administration simply reversing the previous one’s executive orders in an endless partisan cycle. State governments, meanwhile, are where genuine policy innovation occurs.

Recent years have witnessed dozens of states advancing school choice initiatives that empower families with educational options. Multiple states have championed energy affordability and grid reliability. Others have reduced income taxes, allowing working Americans to retain more of their earnings. Several states, including Wisconsin, have enacted right-to-work legislation ensuring no worker must join a union to maintain employment.

Hong had pledged to repeal Wisconsin’s right-to-work law and former Republican Governor Scott Walker’s Act 10, which restricted collective bargaining for most public-sector unions. These weren’t mere campaign rhetoric — the next governor possesses the authority to implement such changes, which explains why Hong’s near-victory remains significant despite her loss.

Americans must pay as much attention to statehouses and local government as they do to Washington. Mayors and governors face fewer institutional barriers than congressional representatives and can rapidly enact policies with immediate, concrete consequences. Democratic socialists have already captured city halls, from Zohran Mamdani in New York to Katie Wilson in Seattle, alarming both conservatives and moderate Democrats. A DSA-aligned governor would represent an exponentially greater threat.

Whatever Wisconsin’s final outcome, Americans should closely monitor not only House and Senate races but all 36 gubernatorial contests on ballots this cycle. The genuine battles over policy and reform are unfolding in cities and state capitals, not in an increasingly dysfunctional Washington.

Medina serves as vice president of communications at State Policy Network.

With information from Washington Examiner