'We're Winning': Bernie Sanders and Democratic Socialists Say Close Races Show Their Movement Is Growing

Progressive leaders, including Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, say their political movement is growing stronger — even after a close loss in Wisconsin's governor's primary on August 11. Francesca Hong, a 37-year-old state lawmaker and chef, nearly won the Democratic race in Wisconsin as a democratic socialist. Her narrow loss, along with a tight Senate primary in Michigan, has both sides of the Democratic Party debating what voters really want.

In Wisconsin, Hong lost to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley by less than half a percentage point. That means the race was decided by a very small number of votes. Crowley surprised almost everyone because public polls had shown him losing by about 20 points before the vote.

In Michigan, another close Democratic Senate primary was also decided by fewer than 20,000 votes total when combined with the Wisconsin race. Progressive leaders say these tight results in two important Midwestern states show that their side is growing fast. They believe more and more voters support their ideas.

Senator Sanders, who calls himself a democratic socialist, told USA TODAY he thinks voters are fed up with the way things are. He said working families want real change on issues like the cost of living. 'The status quo is not working for them,' Sanders said. 'That's why we're winning.'

The Democratic Socialists of America, known as the DSA, is the group that Hong and other recent winners belong to. A poll from Marquette Law School found that 42% of Democrats view the DSA favorably, compared to only 17% who don't. However, among all voters — not just Democrats — the group has a much lower approval rating of 21%.

Not everyone agrees that the progressive movement is on the rise. Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a centrist Democrat, said that since 2018, no progressive candidate has flipped a district that leaned Republican. He argued that more moderate Democrats have had much more success in those kinds of races.

One big question in the Wisconsin race was why Sanders did not endorse Hong. Sanders backed a progressive candidate in Michigan's race, but he and other well-known progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez did not publicly support Hong. University of Wisconsin professor Barry Burden said that support from big names like Sanders could have helped Hong seem more trustworthy to voters.

Hong did receive support from Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and some local progressive groups. But she faced criticism over old social media posts in which she called to abolish the police and made negative comments about certain holidays. Those posts made some voters nervous about supporting her.

Crowley, who is Black and grew up in one of Wisconsin's poorest neighborhoods, pushed back at being called the 'establishment' candidate. He said that label was unfair, pointing to his difficult upbringing and his parents' struggles with drug addiction and mental health problems. Experts say his personal story helped him earn trust with older voters, non-college voters, and Black voters.

Looking ahead, progressive activists are focused on upcoming primaries in Florida, where two democratic socialists are challenging longtime Democratic incumbents in congressional races. DSA co-chair Ashik Siddique said their message on issues like universal healthcare inspires people who normally don't vote. Sanders says the goal is to elect more progressives to Congress to push for big changes for working families.