WASHINGTON — The Democratic Socialists of America are setting their sights on Wisconsin after having won critical federal, statewide and local contests over the past year, even as their chosen candidate for governor, Francesca Hong, backtracks from a history of controversial social media posts.
Hong, a state rep who is backed by several DSA chapters, is the frontrunner for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in the Badger State, leading opponent David Crowley, Milwaukee County’s executive, by double-digits in most surveys, according to the RealClearPolitics aggregator.
That could make her the latest self-described Democratic socialist to succeed in high-profile contest, following the election of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the primary victories of DSA-aligned candidates in the Big Apple, Maine and Colorado, among others.
While not DSA-backed, Michigan Senate Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed beat out a moderate candidate and his victory was cheered by Democratic socialists Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
Still, Hong’s history of far-left views on policing, immigration, taxation and even Thanksgiving could come back to haunt her as voters choose whether to back her in the Tuesday primary — or the Nov. 3 general election — according to critics within the Democratic Party.
Former 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton recently said that Republican messaging around “communist, socialist” candidates was “going to be a very effective attack” in the upcoming 2026 midterms.
Hong’s GOP critics say her backtracking shouldn’t fool voters.
“Voters aren’t just watching her flip-flop, they’re getting a preview of how radical policies get repackaged when a socialist candidate realizes Madison’s progressive views do not represent a true 50/50 state,” Megan Novak, AFP-WI state director, said.
Here’s some of the more radical statements Hong has made.
‘Abolishing the police’
“I support defunding the police as a first step towards abolishing the police,” wrote Hong in an Aug. 24, 2020, post on Twitter, now X.
At the time, she was campaigning for her first term in the Wisconsin state assembly and reacting to news of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a young black man who was shot by Kenosha cops during an armed struggle.
Months later, Hong posted on Oct. 8 that year: “Police exist to uphold white supremacy. Defund then abolish. Reform can’t be an option.”
The Wisconsin state representative disavowed her anti-law enforcement positions when confronted with her radical past statements in a recent episode of “Pod Save America.”
“My views have only become stronger in that I’m serious about public safety and I will not abolish the police,” Hong responded when pressed how her views had changed since 2020.
“My views are that people are struggling right now and need basic needs met, and I want to focus on stopping violent crime and giving law enforcement the resources and the training that they need, but ensure we are also holding accountable law enforcement that does not follow the law,” she said.
“I’ve had more conversations with people who are more directly connected to the problems and have learned that it is most important for a public servant like myself to make sure we’re looking at sensible, practical solutions that will help keep communities safe,” added Hong, denouncing past remarks that cops “exist to uphold white supremacy.”
‘Abolishing ICE’
“Abolishing ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] is a meaningful policy if we want to keep each other safe,” Hong also said during a panel discussion earlier this year with Main Street Alliance Action Fund.
The Wisconsin rep hasn’t reversed her position on this since rising in the polls for the governor’s race.
The comments came after the ICE officer- and Customs and Border Protection officer-involved shootings of US citizens in Minneapolis.
Thanksgiving is a ‘colonizer holiday’ and Valentine’s Day is a capitalist’s invention
Hong tried to walk back her past comments that Thanksgiving Day was a “colonizer holiday” that should be cancelled.
“I don’t want to cancel it,” she said in an interview with Politico, underscoring her shifting positions since gaining the national spotlight. “I actually love it.”
In November 2020, Hong had tweeted: “Please DON’T gather for the colonizer holiday. Please DO wear a mask, physically distance, support local independent restaurants via carryout/delivery and help provide meals for neighbors in your community.”
A former chef, she had also bemoaned Valentine’s Day as one of her least favorite holidays to work during.
“As if we weren’t invisible enough to those who don’t recognize the emotional & physical labor of service work, the worst of humanity comes out from folks ‘celebrating’ on another day capitalism tells you how to show love,” she posted on Feb. 14, 2022.
Tax the rich
Hong floated a bill earlier this year to massively increase taxes on the wealthiest Wisconsinites, creating an additional income tax bracket.
The bracket would tax individuals 17.3% who make at least $750,000 and married couples making $1 million.
That’s more than double the current highest rate of taxation for high earners in the state, but the measure failed to pass in March.
The extra revenue was supposed to be diverted to school funding.
But during a candidates’ debate in late July, Hong backtracked and only supported an 8.65% income tax rate on millionaires in her state.
