Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez was asked about DSA, the radical Democrat Socialist group that her opponent, Fran Hong, is a card carrying member of – and she refused to criticize the organization or Hong, even though it advocates abolishing the U.S. Senate, police, borders, and prisons.
NBC News, in a profile of Hong, wrote of Rodriguez, alongside a photo of her: “Hong’s Democratic rivals have so far avoided directly criticizing her. In an interview with NBC News, Rodriguez referred to electability as a crucial trait for the party’s nominee, but declined to make an issue of Hong being a democratic socialist.” Rodriguez also said she wasn’t worried about Hong. Hong has advocated abolishing police; Rodriguez’s response to that was, “There is a role for law enforcement within the state of Wisconsin.” The headline reported that “democratic socialists eye a battleground state breakthrough.”
Both Rodriguez and Hong are running for governor. Republican Tom Tiffany has criticized all of the above.
Rodriguez’s refusal to call out DSA or Hong came in the wake of Hong pledging to bring socialism to Wisconsin after the election of Zohran Mamdani-endorsed candidates in New York, victories Hong touted, despite those candidates’ radical America-hating views. One, a state Senate candidate, even said that 9/11 was America’s fault. And another, Darializa Avila Chevalier, once said she wiped her hand on the American flag because she didn’t have a napkin. She deleted tweets advocating seizing private property, and abolishing prisons, borders, and police, and indicating Israel shouldn’t exist. DSA member Chevalier “founded a group in college that called for the total destruction of the West.”
Hong’s response to Chevalier’s victory? “It’s a great day to be a democratic socialist. Wisconsin is next!”
The silence of Rodriguez, who is trying to run as a moderate but who has advocated extremely liberal policies on illegal immigration and prison releases, came as Republican U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson warned, “Every American needs to wake up and understand the threat. The Marxists have nominated some of the most radical candidates to ever run for office, and they’re running for Congress. The insurgent left is on the rise.”
Johnson wrote of the New York victories:
“These radicals who have ties to terrorist groups and have OPENLY SAID they want to:
- Abolish borders and immigration enforcement
- Grant mass amnesty, even to criminals and terrorists
- Decriminalize trans-prostitution
- Use taxpayer dollars for transgender surgeries
- Abolish prisons and defund the police
- Impose Medicare for All
- Abolish the Senate and replace the President and Supreme Court
- Eradicate America and Western civilization
The other Democrat candidates for Wisconsin governor also have not criticized DSA – Joel Brennan, David Crowley, Mandela Barnes, and Kelda Roys. Attorney General Josh Kaul has remained silent and previously dodged a question about whether he is comfortable with all of the candidates running for governor.
