Bernie Sanders won’t endorse Hong in Wisconsin governor race

Sen. Bernie Sanders, Vermont independent, said this week he doesn’t expect to endorse Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong ahead of next Tuesday’s Democratic primary, a comment that drew pointed reaction from Republican-aligned accounts who noted his history of backing far messier candidates.

Asked on the “Pod Save America” podcast whether he planned to back Ms. Hong’s campaign, Mr. Sanders said, “I don’t think so.” He said he met Ms. Hong “a couple of years ago” and found her pleasant, but that he isn’t closely following the race to succeed Gov. Tony Evers, who announced last year he won’t seek a third term.

Mr. Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, said his political focus this cycle has been on congressional races, pointing to his support for Troy Jackson, the Democratic Senate nominee in Maine. He added that he hasn’t gotten involved in many governors’ races.

The comment drew pointed reactions from Republican-aligned accounts, who noted Mr. Sanders has stuck by far messier candidates elsewhere. Mr. Sanders endorsed Graham Platner’s Maine Senate bid last year, and stood by him through a Reddit-posts controversy — before Mr. Platner withdrew after a former girlfriend accused him of sexual assault, an allegation he denied. Mr. Jackson, the state’s former Senate president, went on to replace him as the Democratic nominee. Chuck Ross, a reporter for the Washington Free Beacon, wrote on X that Mr. Sanders “endorsed in mayoral races, House races, and Troy Jackson’s failed governor race in Maine” while passing on Ms. Hong. Politico’s Will Steakin was more succinct, posting simply: “Says a lot.”

Ms. Hong, a state representative, chef and self-described democratic socialist, is the frontrunner in Tuesday’s primary, according to recent polling, and is expected to face Rep. Tom Tiffany, the likely Republican nominee, in November.

The race has been shadowed for the past week by resurfaced controversy over a now-deleted 2020 social media post in which Ms. Hong called for canceling Thanksgiving, describing it as a celebration of colonialism. Pressed on the post during a CNN interview Monday, she didn’t disavow it outright, saying the holiday is “incredibly painful for many people” while stressing that “views can evolve.” Days later, in an interview with Politico’s Playbook, she struck a different note, calling Thanksgiving her favorite holiday and saying she has no interest in canceling it.

Mr. Evers, who endorsed Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley for governor in July after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropped out and Mr. Crowley re-entered the race, has voiced doubts about Ms. Hong’s chances against Mr. Tiffany in November. Asked about it, Mr. Evers said Ms. Hong would “probably not” beat the Republican in a general election, calling her talented but adding that “it was about issues.”

Ms. Hong has also faced scrutiny over past calls to defund and abolish police departments, positions she has since softened, saying during a recent debate that she needs to be “sensible and practical” about what’s achievable in office.

Advertisement Advertisement

This article was constructed with the assistance of artificial intelligence and published by a member of The Washington Times' AI News Desk team. The contents of this report are based solely on The Washington Times' original reporting, wire services, and/or other sources cited within the report. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Steve Fink, Director of Artificial Intelligence, at sfink@washingtontimes.com

The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.