Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Sidesteps Questions on Hong’s Thanksgiving Reversal as GOP Campaign Attacks

Devin Remiker, the Wisconsin Democratic Party chair, deflected repeated inquiries about Thanksgiving on Tuesday following state gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong’s reversal of her previous position calling for the holiday to be canceled. During an appearance on CNN, host John Berman pressed Remiker on his personal views about the holiday, prompting a response that emphasized his own annual celebrations.

Remiker indicated he enjoys the holiday so thoroughly that he hosts a separate Friendsgiving celebration each year. He then pivoted his comments to attack Republican opponent Tom Tiffany, claiming the GOP candidate would face awkward family conversations and that certain foods would remind him of the political forces he blamed for his electoral prospects.

Berman directly addressed the controversy, asking how problematic it was for the Democratic Party to manage questions about Thanksgiving given Hong’s prior statements and subsequent reversal. Remiker responded by framing the issue as an opportunity to highlight Republican economic policies, arguing that Tiffany’s positions would increase costs for Wisconsin families seeking to celebrate the holiday together.

Hong, among seven Democrats competing in Tuesday’s gubernatorial primary alongside Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, told Politico last week that Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday, contradicting a 2020 post in which she wrote “Cancel Thanksgiving. Should have done this in 1621.” She attributed her earlier comments to general skepticism about holidays rather than specific opposition to Thanksgiving itself.

The Tiffany campaign seized on the matter, issuing a statement to Fox News Digital that accused the Democratic Party of capitulating to socialism and supporting a candidate with radical positions. A campaign spokesperson referenced Hong’s support for abolishing police and prisons while criticizing what he characterized as her agenda to increase taxes and reduce economic opportunity in Wisconsin.