Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is defending not endorsing Wisconsin’s socialist gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong after her upset loss, contending that “we have limited resources.”
Hong, who famously took issue with a range of American holidays and once said she would like to “cancel Thanksgiving” altogether, lost the gubernatorial primary race to David Crowley by roughly half a percentage point, which translates to fewer than 4,000 votes. This came as a shock, as primary polling showed Hong as the leading candidate in the primary time and time again, in some cases by double digits.
Some far-left voters are blaming socialist lawmakers like Sanders for failing to throw support behind Hong. However, Sanders is dismissing those critiques, telling Politico, “My response is that we have limited resources and capabilities, and there are a lot of really great candidates who have run for office who we have not endorsed.”
“We can’t endorse every single candidate,” he added. “So, you know, we have to pick and choose and I think that Hong ran a very, very great, and very strong, grassroots campaign, got a lot of people involved and I applaud her for that.”
However, both Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed and campaigned for Zohran Mamdani in his successful race for New York City mayor. The two have done the same for Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed (known as Abdul El-Sayed) in his Michigan U.S. Senate campaign.
Politico continued:
Sanders in the interview noted primary wins from Flanagan, Rebecca Cooke in Wisconsin’s 3rd District and Matt Little in the crowded race for Rep. Angie Craig’s Minnesota seat — all Democrats he endorsed.
“Needless to say, I’m feeling really very good,” Sanders said. “The American people are catching on that we have an economy that is rigged, the very rich are getting richer while working families are struggling.”
Notably, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) also inexplicably failed to endorse Hong in her race, despite throwing her weight behind other far-left candidates. When asked about this on the campaign trail, Hong refused to bash either lawmaker and said she respects both of them.
“…[T]hey are working tirelessly to make sure that we can flip Congress and the Senate and get Democrats wins in the midterms. I look forward to conversations with them about that, too,” she said at the time, also musing that, perhaps, they did not endorse her because her race was not federal.
“You know, a gubernatorial race is different from federal elections, and I think that we are focused on making sure to reach every single voter that we can up until those polls close, and that’s what we’re focusing on right now,” she said.
However, Hong had been going viral for a series of far-left remarks, including complaints that she once left a restaurant anxious because of too many old white people. She also once said her perfect world would be one without prisons. Some believe Sanders and AOC have been trying to distance themselves from individuals making such statements, as seen in AOC’s remark that woke 1 was “crazy.”
Following her surprise loss, Hong said her campaign was not about electing an individual but “building a movement for permanent affordability and a government that puts working people first.”
“Our movement is strong, and the work isn’t done. I am overwhelmingly proud of our team and the work they have done to achieve that goal,” she said. “Congratulations to David Crowley and his team. I fully support him and look forward to working with him to defeat Congressman Tiffany in November.”
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