Hong to supporters: 'We are ready to keep fighting, and I feel confident'

Democratic socialist Francesca Hong addressed her supporters at her election night gathering around 11:30 p.m. Central Time, with the outcome of the Wisconsin governor’s primary still uncertain.

“I know we don’t have the final results right now, but what I do know is that we are ready to keep fighting, and I feel confident,” she declared to the hundreds in attendance, though the crowd had started to dwindle as the evening progressed.

Expressing her gratitude, she said she was “deeply, deeply grateful to my core for how hard you have all fought” and took pride in having “built a beautiful, multi-generational, multi-partisan, multiracial working-class movement.”

Shortly after Hong concluded her remarks, a campaign official took the stage, signaling the end of the event by telling the attendees to “have a good night.”

Hong finds herself in a tight race with Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, a surprising development given her previous double-digit lead in public polls before election night. Prominent progressive figures such as Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez chose not to endorse or campaign for Hong, amid concerns about her general election viability.

Throughout her speech, Hong emphasized unity. When the crowd chanted “we will win,” she replied, “We will win, together, united.”

“No matter who wins this primary, we’re going to continue to fight for each other,” she affirmed. “We are going to collectively reject despair, and we are going to unite.”

Emilio Perez Ibarguen contributed to this report.