DSA Candidate Hong’s Win Signals Socialist Takeover of Democrats
Primary voters in six states went to the polls Tuesday to determine the Democratic Party's leftward shift and whether Democratic Socialists of America will expand their influence in mainstream politics.
Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Carolina, Connecticut, Alabama and Vermont all held contests, according to Breitbart News, with the marquee races taking place in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and South Carolina.
In South Carolina, a special Republican primary election was held to select a new nominee following the death of Senator Lindsey Graham, who had earlier defeated challenger Mark Lynch in the summer primary. President Trump endorsed newly appointed Senator Darline Graham Nordone, the late senator’s sister, who was appointed to the seat by Governor Henry McMaster, a Trump ally. The endorsement came despite Nordone’s limited political experience.
Polling indicated Nordone and Representative Ralph Norman were the frontrunners, with Representative Russell Fry and even scandal-tainted former Governor and Representative Mark Sanford viewed as potential runoff candidates. With no candidate securing over 50 percent, a runoff was scheduled for August 25.
The Minnesota Democratic Senate primary exposed the deepening rift between traditional Democrats and the increasingly dominant progressive wing of the party. The race also illustrated the velocity with which Democrats have sprinted leftward in recent years.
Representative Angie Craig consistently trailed progressive Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan in polling. Though the local DSA chapter did not formally involve itself in the contest—the leftwing Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party carries that mantle in Minnesota—Flanagan clearly aligned herself with the DSA wing of the Democratic Party.
Craig received backing from the Chuck Schumer establishment wing, though Schumer and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee refrained from formal involvement, apparently to avoid tainting Craig in a primary where Washington Democrats and Schumer’s continued leadership faced sustained attacks.
Despite initially campaigning on pragmatism and bipartisan cooperation, Craig rapidly abandoned that positioning. She even apologized for voting for the Laken Riley Act just 18 months earlier—legislation that required the Department of Homeland Security to detain illegal aliens who commit certain crimes.
The Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary drew the most national attention, with Francesca Hong consistently leading her competitors in polling, as Breitbart News reports. The DSA official embraced the most radical positions of the socialist movement, yet national DSA figures and its most prominent adherents withheld their endorsements.
Despite ideological alignment, Hong struggled to demonstrate depth of understanding or handle challenging questions on the campaign trail, prompting Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Bernie Sanders, and other prominent socialist politicians to refrain from backing her candidacy.
Hong was expected to conduct a staff shakeup following the primary—either to revitalize her campaign or to create scapegoats for her difficulties.
The first polls closed in South Carolina at 7 p.m. Eastern Time, followed by Alabama, Vermont, and Connecticut at 8 p.m. Eastern.
Minnesota Results: Progressive Victory
Lisa Demuth won the Republican nomination for governor in Minnesota, defeating Mike Lindell, the MyPillow CEO, according to the Associated Press. Trump posted a message on Truth Social Tuesday morning encouraging voters to support Lindell, but the brief statement lacked his typical full-throated endorsement and trademark enthusiasm.
Flanagan secured victory in Minnesota, the AP projected—a significant defeat for the establishment wing of the Democratic Party and potentially another vote against Schumer for Democratic Leader.
The Night’s Major Contests
In South Carolina, Senator Darline Graham Nordone and Representative Ralph Norman advanced to the runoff for the Republican Senate nomination. Despite Trump’s endorsement, Nordone captured only approximately one-third of the vote.
In Minnesota, progressive Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan secured a commanding lead over Representative Angie Craig in the Democratic Senatorial primary, with multiple outlets calling the race for the progressive candidate.
In Wisconsin, Francesca Hong—projected to win by double digits—found herself trading the lead with David Crowley in the Democratic gubernatorial primary. Representative Tom Tiffany won the Republican nomination and clearly preferred to face the DSA candidate Hong in the general election.
As vote counting progressed, Hong briefly took the lead, overtaking Crowley by mere hundreds of votes with over 83 percent of ballots counted. The razor-thin margin suggested the race might not be called on election night.
With 70 percent of votes tallied, Hong trailed Crowley by a minuscule 600 votes—setting up what would be one of the biggest upsets of the election cycle.
With information from Breitbart News
