The Democratic primary in Wisconsin’s gubernatorial race wrapped up Tuesday with Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley narrowly defeating socialist Francesca Hong — a result that mainstream outlets were quick to frame as a victory for the party’s moderate wing. But critics argue that label is doing a lot of heavy lifting, and that Crowley’s policy positions tell a different story.
According to Politico, Hong’s defeat signals that an “emerging insurgency” of socialists is overhyped, and that moderates remain a force within the party. But accepting that framing requires accepting the premise that Crowley is, in fact, a moderate — a premise that The Federalist and other conservative voices are pushing back on.
Hong, who was known for controversial statements — including calls to cancel Thanksgiving, abolish the Senate, and defund the police — lost by a narrow margin. Her rhetoric made her an easy target. But on the issues that matter most to voters, Crowley and Hong were separated more by tone than substance, according to the report.
Policy Parallels
Both Crowley and Hong supported repealing Act 10, a Wisconsin law that curtailed collective bargaining for public employee unions and limited pay raises to the rate of inflation. Both backed raising the minimum wage to $20 an hour — Crowley pledged to do it by 2030, with an immediate jump to $15 — while Hong supported the same $20 figure.
On abortion, Crowley supports making it a constitutional right in Wisconsin; Hong also backed putting abortion access into the state constitution. Both have expressed opposition to local law enforcement cooperating with ICE, with Crowley saying he cannot envision “any scenario” in which he would work with the agency. Under his leadership, Milwaukee County has even explored legal action against ICE.
Crowley has also signaled openness to continued immigration, saying in a post on X that “every generation of immigrants has made Wisconsin stronger” and that he’s “not interested in shutting that door.” He said that as governor he would “keep welcoming new Wisconsinites.”
The ‘Moderate’ Label Under Fire
The Federalist’s piece argues that Crowley may be less radical than Hong, but being less radical than a self-described socialist doesn’t automatically make someone a moderate. The publication contends that the label — repeated by outlets like Politico and amplified by social media users — allows Democrats to redefine “moderate” as anyone standing even half a step to the right of their most extreme member.
That dynamic, the article warns, turns the “moderate Democrat” into a campaign myth designed to deceive swing voters into backing left-wing candidates who will ultimately pursue the party’s broader policy goals.
It’s a playbook that has been run before, with notable success. Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger campaigned as a moderate focused on affordability, but has since embraced tax hikes, signed away Virginia’s Electoral College votes to the national popular vote, and supported efforts that critics say diluted rural representation in a redistricting battle.
Former President Joe Biden ran a similar play in 2020. NPR described him as “generally moderate to center-left,” and a YouGov poll found that most Americans saw him as a moderate. But his administration pushed through the Inflation Reduction Act — which critics call the largest climate spending bill in U.S. history — extended pandemic-era unemployment benefits, rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement, attempted student loan forgiveness, and oversaw a four-year period of record border crossings.
A Dangerous Label?
The concern, according to the piece, is that voters who don’t dig into a candidate’s full record will rely on the labels they see in the media. If a candidate like Crowley is repeatedly called a “moderate,” even by Republicans and right-leaning commentators, the label sticks — and voters may assume that means he would govern in a centrist fashion.
Crowley has leaned into the image, saying things like “we don’t have a monopoly on good ideas” and talking about listening to independents and Republicans. But on the policy positions that define governance — labor, wages, abortion, immigration — the gap between Crowley and Hong is minimal.
As the article concludes, the “moderate Democrat” is a campaign myth, and Crowley is the latest to wear the label while running on a decidedly left-wing platform. Whether voters in a general election will look past the label and see the record remains to be seen.
Source: thefederalist.com — https://thefederalist.com/2026/08/12/stop-calling-democrats-moderate-for-hiding-their-socialism-behind-a-bad-haircut/