Francesca Hong, a candidate in the Democratic Party primary for Wisconsin’s gubernatorial race, speaks to volunteers ahead of canvassing in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Aug. 9, 2026. (Kim Won-chul/Hankyoreh)
“This is the moment for our movement — a moment backed by ordinary folks in the working class,” said Francesca Hong, who was standing in the yard of a family home in Waukesha, Wisconsin, at 1 pm on Sunday.The 38-year-old Korean American is the front-runner in the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial primary.Hong was joined by around 20 volunteers who had turned out for canvassing — going around house by house to ask for their vote in the upcoming primary. She was on the fifth day of a get-out-the-vote campaign that’s slated to cover 24 cities around Wisconsin.“I’m a proud single mother, chef, and service sector worker,” Hong said by way of self-introduction. “Together, we can make it possible to make things better. There are just two days left.”After her speech, she spoke with each of the volunteers, looking them in the eye, giving them a hug and posing for photographs.An hour later, she moved to the next campaigning site, but not before offering a final pep talk: “Thanks for coming out for your community. I’ll keep being there for you all.”“We wrapped up our big rallies last week. For the last week before the primary, we’re focusing on making the rounds of smaller canvassing locations to encourage the volunteers,” a representative for Hong’s campaign told the Hankyoreh.The US is abuzz about the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary, which will be held on Tuesday.In a state that Trump won twice, it’s more likely than ever that a progressive candidate and self-styled democratic socialist will prevail over mainstream politicians.Should Hong win not only the Democratic primary but the general election in November, it would prove that progressive candidates can win even in Midwest swing states, with major repercussions for the progressive movement as the Democratic Party gears up for the 2028 presidential election. Anger over data centers crosses the party divideHong’s surprising strength not only in Democratic areas but also in Republican strongholds in this Midwest swing state can be explained by the rising cost of living, as well as the data center debate. When I spoke to local backers of Hong, there was unanimous agreement that data centers are the issue that will decide the race.One of those backers is Sean Bannier, aged 39, who is volunteering for Hong in the city of Waukesha.“I’ve been involved in election campaigns every year since 2024, but I’ve never seen an issue cut across the party divide the way data centers do,” Bannier told the Hankyoreh.“Communities and local governments need to have the authority to control [data centers] and ensure that water resources aren’t damaged and that electric bills don’t go up. Since companies are buying land under confidentiality agreements, communities are often left in the dark about the data center construction plans,” he said.Bannier recalled how even self-styled hardcore members of the Republican Party had accepted Hong’s brochures after he explained how data centers would affect their electric and water bills.
