The surprise defeat of a far left fringe Democrat in Wisconsin could signal that socialists have finally jumped the shark, paving the way for more electable moderates in the general election.

Francesca Hong, who advocated for abolishing the police and canceling Thanksgiving, lost the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary on Tuesday last week, upending polls showing her comfortably ahead.

Hong was beaten by Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who dropped out earlier in the chaotic Democratic race but got back in to stop the socialist insurgent. Crowley will now face Donald Trump-endorsed Rep. Tom Tiffany in November.

Socialist leaders had billed the contest as a test of their newfound strength in the Democratic Party. But Crowley supporters had warned that nominating Wong would jeopardize their chances of holding on to the governor’s office.

Hong, a 37-year-old state lawmaker, wrote on X in 2020 that she supported “defunding the police as a first step towards abolishing the police.” She later argued in 2021 that “police exist to uphold white supremacy. Defund then abolish. Reform can’t be an option.”

She wrote in 2020, “Cancel Thanksgiving. We should have done this in 1621.”

Hong’s loss was a rare bit of good news for establishment Democrats who backed Crowley and have been handwringing over the extreme far left tilt in the party.

Hong’s defeat may be an isolated instance of voters regaining their senses, or may mean that voters are ready to embrace more moderate candidates who have a better chance of winning in November.

It was the latest bad night for pollsters, who have been far off predicting in the primaries in several states.

The polls in particular have been overestimating support for the socialists and left wingers.

Abdul El-Sayed, the far left U.S. Senate candidate in Michigan, barely survived his primary against the establishment Democrat by less than one percentage point after polls showed him winning handily.

Some Democrats are worried his support is shallow and his primary victory could put in jeopardy the party’s chances of winning control of the Senate.

Hong’s surprise loss shows the limits of socialist candidates, whose platform includes eliminating the U.S. Senate and Supreme Court, and imposing Canadian-style government-run health care.

Once voters take a close look at some of these hyped candidates like Hong, whose comments about Thanksgiving made national headlines, they are running for the hills — worried that these candidates will get pummeled at the polls in November.

Socialists have not made as many inroads in Massachusetts, partly because the state is so left wing already, the latest example being the new law signed by Gov. Maura Healey making nearly all abortions legal.

Why do you need a socialist when Healey and far left mayors like Michelle Wu already are in power?

The closest Massachusetts comes to having socialist candidates are self-described “progressives” who are challenging incumbents like Democratic U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch.

The U.S. Senate race is a battle between two left wingers, incumbent Ed Markey and challenger Seth Moulton, whose views on most issues are nearly identical.

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