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Francesca Hong, the presumptive Democratic nominee for Wisconsin governor and an endorsed member of the Democratic Socialists of America, is drawing scrutiny over deleted social media posts that criticized Thanksgiving and described a panic attack at a fast-food restaurant. The posts, which surfaced online this week, have sparked ridicule from conservative commentators and raised questions about her fitness for statewide office.
In a November 2020 post to X, Hong called for canceling the holiday, writing “Cancel Thanksgiving. Should have done this in 1621.” She elaborated that the pandemic provided an opportunity to stop “celebrating colonialism and the original superspreader event that killed indigenous folx and women,” referencing the smallpox epidemic that decimated Native American populations.
A separate 2019 post surfaced Friday in which Hong described eating part of her child’s cheeseburger at a Culver’s restaurant in Black River Falls and lying about the ice cream availability because she felt anxious around “old white people who didn’t think we spoke english.” The post drew derision from conservative figures and media personalities online.
Hong has built her campaign around progressive policies including race-based grants for social workers, publicly funded grocery stores, and a state-run bank. She has garnered support from national figures including U.S. Representatives Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Ro Khanna of California, and has raised approximately $709,000 as of late June.
The race shifted Thursday when former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes withdrew from the contest amid separate allegations of workplace sexual harassment currently under investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. His departure leaves Hong and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley as the primary contenders, though Governor Tony Evers has endorsed Crowley, citing his experience.
Crowley has raised $250,000 and carries backing from various local organizations and figures. Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary is scheduled for August 11.
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