By The Daily Wire (World News) | Created at 2026-08-14 01:01:13 | Updated at 2026-08-14 06:27:19
10 hours ago
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is pushing back against left-wingers who blamed him for Francesca Hong’s narrow defeat in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, arguing that he simply does not have the resources or ability to endorse every candidate favored by the Left.
“My response is that we have limited resources and capabilities, and there are a lot of really great candidates who have run for office who we have not endorsed,” Sanders told Politico Wednesday.
“We can’t endorse every single candidate,” he added, while praising Hong for running a “very, very great, and very strong, grassroots campaign.”
Sanders’ comments come after Hong’s upset defeat triggered a blame game among the left, with some arguing that the Vermont senator and other national leaders could have tipped the race in Hong’s favor had they gotten involved.
Hong, a Democratic Socialist of America member, entered Tuesday’s primary as the overwhelming polling favorite but narrowly lost to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who had the backing of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. Crowley defeated Hong by roughly 3,000 votes.
The result immediately prompted criticism from some of Sanders’ allies and other figures on the Left.
Nathan J. Robinson, editor of the left-wing magazine Current Affairs, said Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) were “directly responsible for Hong’s loss,” while DSA political operative Deep Singh Badhesha argued that a single rally from Sanders or Ocasio-Cortez could have been enough to put Hong over the top.
Cenk Uygur, co-founder of the Young Turks and Justice Democrats, likewise argued that Sanders and other left-wing leaders have a responsibility to support candidates throughout the country.
“If they endorse people, it makes a difference. If they don’t endorse people these days, sometimes it makes a bigger difference,” Uygur told Politico.
Uygur also took issue with Sanders’ earlier explanation for staying out of the race. Sanders had said on the “Pod Save America” podcast that he was “not that familiar” with the Wisconsin contest.
“I love Bernie, but that’s not true. Sorry, brother, but you have a giant team,” Uygur said. “Of course somebody on your team knows who’s running for governor in Wisconsin.”
Our Revolution, the organization created out of Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, also criticized the broader left-wing movement after Hong’s loss.
“We cannot build progressive power while gatekeeping our own movement through the eyes of the establishment,” the group wrote Wednesday.
Sanders, however, sought to distance himself from the organization.
“Our Revolution is an organization I’ve not had any interaction with, any participation with … for I think nine years,” Sanders said. “They do what they want and they say what they want. They have nothing to do with me.”
Our Revolution declined to comment on Sanders’ remarks.
Sanders instead pointed to several far-left candidates he endorsed who won their respective Democratic primaries, including Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Wisconsin congressional candidate Rebecca Cooke, and Minnesota congressional candidate Matt Little.
“Needless to say, I’m feeling really very good,” Sanders said.
Sanders has increasingly used his political operation to back insurgent candidates this cycle, with his endorsements helping candidates including Flanagan and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed win their primaries.
Ocasio-Cortez has also campaigned for leftist candidates but declined to endorse Hong, saying her focus was on winning back Congress.
But Hong’s loss also came after weeks of scrutiny over her past statements and positions, including calls to abolish police and prisons and controversial comments about Thanksgiving and American culture. Evers repeatedly argued that Hong was spending too much of the campaign defending her past social media posts rather than discussing issues.
Crowley will now face Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany to determine control of the Wisconsin governor’s mansion.
