What the Wisconsin Primary Can Tell Us About Black Voters and Democratic Socialism

Are Black voters finally moving toward democratic socialism? Wisconsin may offer one of the clearest answers yet.

Francesca Hong, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, is leading the Democratic primary for governor. David Crowley, the Black Milwaukee County executive who represents the Democratic establishment, is trailing by double digits in the polls. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes has dropped out, as we previously reported.

Many believe Hong’s rise, despite the presence of two leading Black Democrats in the race, may be something bigger than socialism.

Black voters, like Americans more broadly, are increasingly less willing to vote for a candidate just because they recognize the name or understand the traditional party label. With economic pressure mounting, President Donald Trump reshaping the federal government and racial tensions remaining high, voters are asking a more basic question: Who is actually going to serve my interests?

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The polling suggests those questions are deeply connected to economic concerns. Pew found that 82% of Black voters said the economy and health care were very important to their vote, while 75% cited racial inequality and 71% cited violent crime. Those priorities suggest that Black voters are not necessarily looking for ideology and identity first; they are looking for candidates who can offer credible solutions to problems affecting their daily lives.

Recently interviewed at a local tavern in Sheboygan, Crowley argued that a Hong win could backfire. “You know, it’s the only time that I know that the governor — Tony Evers — the Republican Governors Association and Turning Point USA have ever been on the same page: in thinking that Francesca Hong is the best candidate to lose this race,” he told POLITICO.

For Democrats, the rise of socialism and left wing politics is a major shift this election cycle. Hong has built her campaign around economic issues, including affordability, child care and public investment. Her appeal is not simply that she is a democratic socialist. It is that she is offering a different answer to problems voters already know.

There are examples of Black socialists throughout history. Take former Calif. Rep. Ronald Dellums, the first openly socialist non-incumbent elected to Congress after World War II.

We also can’t forget about recent precedents.

In Washington, D.C., Janeese Lewis George, a Black candidate aligned with the DSA, won the Democratic mayoral primary. In New York, Zohran Mamdani is building strong support among Black voters, especially younger ones, despite initially struggling to break through with some Black traditionalists.

None of this proves that Black America is becoming socialist in 2026.

It suggests something potentially more consequential: Black voters may be willing to consider candidates outside the traditional Democratic establishment when they believe those candidates better understand their economic and political needs.

The DSA’s challenge is whether it can turn that openness into something durable and sustainable, especially in a swing state like Wisconsin.

Economic insecurity can create an opening for democratic socialism. But Black voters are also weighing public safety, racial politics, Trump’s return to power, electability and whether candidates can actually govern.

The question, then, isn’t whether Black voters will suddenly embrace the DSA. It’s whether the DSA can convince voters that its politics are more than a label–that they offer a credible answer to the problems voters are already trying to solve.

Wisconsin may be the next test.

Now, voters are positioned to cast their ballots for either Hong, who represents a new wave of American politics, or a more establishment Democrat like Crowley in Tuesday’s primary election.