The Wisconsin Democratic primary delivered a stunning upset this week, as Francesca Hong—a candidate who had led polls by twenty points or more—was edged out by David Crowley, a local official barely considered a contender during the campaign. According to American Thinker, the race was decided by a last-minute surge of ballots after a ‘tabulation error’ delayed the count, a scenario that echoes the 2020 election night in the minds of many observers.
Hong, described by American Thinker as having a ‘Shadow Over Innsmouth’ demeanor, had alienated mainstream voters with a series of controversial statements, including calls to dissolve the police, ban Thanksgiving, abolish whiteness, and even assassinate President Trump. Her far-left positions made her a polarizing figure, and her defeat has been interpreted by some commentators as a deliberate move by the Democratic establishment to cut loose a candidate they deemed unelectable.
The Crowley Surprise
Crowley, who was not considered a serious contender until the final hours, won by less than half a percentage point. His chief qualification, as American Thinker notes, appears to be his patience as a long-time Democrat waiting for his turn. The sudden appearance of ‘John Q. Smith, 2323 Mockingbird Lane, Anytown, Wisconsin’ ballots—after polls had closed—has fueled speculation that the fix was in, with Democrats using their familiar playbook to ensure Hong’s defeat.
American Thinker argues that the Democratic Party has grown wary of the ‘large collection of left-wing grotesques’ riding under their banner. The strategy of slipping such candidates in among ordinary Democrats may have worked in the past, but it evaporates when they run in large numbers and voters realize these figures are unlike anyone they’ve supported before. Hong’s embrace of online demagogues like Hasan Piker may have been the final straw.
Fallout with the DSA
But the move may backfire. While the GOP has historically accepted its beatings quietly, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are unlikely to take this lying down. American Thinker highlights that the DSA views themselves as revolutionaries in the Lenin/Mao mold and consider the Democrats as a bourgeois vehicle to be used and discarded. They know how the scam was pulled and who pulled it, and they are unlikely to accept being thrown under the bus.
The DSA, after all, gave us the ‘Summer of Love’—a reference to the protest movements of recent years. Their response to Hong’s ouster could be swift and disruptive, adding another layer of internal conflict to the Democratic Party’s already fractious coalition.
Reputation for Cheating
American Thinker points out that even without proof, the Democrats’ pervasive reputation for cheating—particularly in Wisconsin, where they have a long record of tactics such as registering non-local college students—means that anything resembling manipulation will trigger outrage. The fact that this time the victims are other leftists is a bitter irony that the party may come to regret.
As the dust settles, the question is whether Crowley’s victory will hold and whether the Democratic establishment can manage the fallout. Hong’s supporters, and the broader progressive base, may see this as a betrayal, further fracturing a party already struggling to unify its disparate factions. For now, the ‘plank’ that Francesca walked may be the first of many, as Democrats seek to distance themselves from the more extreme elements of their coalition.
American Thinker’s analysis suggests that solving one problem has only created a new one. The Democrats may have secured a more palatable candidate, but they’ve awakened a sleeping giant in the DSA. As the 2026 midterms approach, the party’s internal battles are likely to intensify, and the ‘irony’ the Democrats are now facing is just the beginning.
Source: www.americanthinker.com — https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/francesca-walks-the-plank/