Francesca Hong, a leading contender for the Wisconsin gubernatorial nomination and an active member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), faced intense questioning regarding her past endorsements of controversial far-left policies, including abolishing ICE, dismantling the Senate, and defunding the police. During an appearance on “America’s Newsroom,” Hong confirmed her status as a dues-paying member of the DSA in her local Madison chapter since 2020, while simultaneously attempting to distance herself from what she termed the organization’s more extreme stances, specifically calling the abolition of the Senate “nonsensical and non-practical” and rejecting the idea of eliminating the Supreme Court due to her belief in checks and balances. When pressed repeatedly on her previous social media posts advocating for police abolition, Hong stated that views can evolve, drawing a parallel to Trump voters who might now consider supporting her, and ultimately declared that if elected governor, she would not defund the police, acknowledging the practical limitations of the gubernatorial role in such matters. This scrutiny highlights a broader tension within the Democratic Party, as moderate factions often clash with the more progressive platform championed by the DSA, even as DSA-backed candidates achieve primary victories. Hong’s campaign has previously addressed her past statements, including a 2021 post calling for police abolition following the decision not to charge the officer involved in the Jacob Blake shooting, with her campaign stating in May that she does not want to cut public safety resources and dislikes crime and unsafe streets, while also expressing disapproval of law enforcement abusing power. Her campaign also addressed comments about abolishing the Senate, stating she did not recall making the post which occurred after Trump’s impeachment proceedings. Despite the controversies, Hong remains a frontrunner, backed by local DSA chapters and notable Democratic figures like Reps. Ilhan Omar and Ro Khanna.
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