US Progressive Figure Sanders Declines to Endorse Korean-American Wisconsin Governor Candidate

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, a godfather of American hardline progressive democratic socialism, has drawn the line at publicly endorsing Francesca Hong, a Korean-American Democratic candidate running for Governor of Wisconsin.

According to U.S. media outlets on the 6th local time, Sanders was asked in a podcast interview released the previous day whether he had plans to make a public endorsement in the Wisconsin gubernatorial race, to which he replied, "I don't think so."

Sanders said, "I met Francesca a couple of years ago in Wisconsin. She seems like a very, very nice person. But this is not an election that I know well."

He added, "We don't get heavily involved in gubernatorial races. My primary focus right now is the issue of shaping the House and the Senate to take on Trump."

This means he is focusing on helping the opposition party retake the House and Senate so that they can put the brakes on U.S. President Donald Trump's unilateral governance.

Candidate Hong, who identifies as a democratic socialist, is currently leading the polls ahead of the Wisconsin gubernatorial Democratic primary to be held in five days.

Barring any surprises, it is highly likely she will smoothly secure the Democratic nomination.

This effectively means that Hong is not in a desperate situation where she immediately needs a public endorsement from Sanders.

Nevertheless, diverse interpretations surround Sanders' "keeping his distance" as a leading figure of the progressive faction within the Democratic Party.

Some view it as an intention to avoid highlighting the confrontational dynamic between the centrist and progressive factions within the Democratic Party at a time when Hong's chances of victory are high.

Ahead of the Democratic primary in the swing state of Wisconsin, the Democratic Party is split between progressives supporting Hong and centrists who worry about Hong's competitiveness in the general election.

On the Republican side, attacks have emerged claiming that Hong leans so radically left that even Sanders hesitates to give a public endorsement.

A post appeared on the X account of Republican candidate Tom Tiffany, whom Hong is set to face if she wins the Democratic primary, stating, "Looks like even Bernie is enjoying Thanksgiving."

This revived Hong's past remarks suggesting that Thanksgiving should be abolished because it conceals the history of the exploitation of indigenous peoples.

Republicans continue to take issue with her Thanksgiving remarks, attacking her as a radical figure who destroys tradition.

Hong clarified in an interview with the political outlet POLITICO the previous day that she actually likes Thanksgiving.

The Wisconsin gubernatorial Democratic primary on the 11th has seen a surge in nationwide attention following the victory of democratic socialist candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan on the 4th.

If Hong wins the Democratic primary and goes on to win the general election in November, she will become the first Korean-American governor in the United States.

Through his presidential runs in 2016 and 2020, Sanders brought democratic socialism—championing workers' rights, universal healthcare, and tax increases on the wealthy—to the forefront of progressive politics.

The democratic socialist wave sparked by the election of political newcomer New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani last year is currently threatening the moderate mainstream of the Democratic Party.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.