Wisconsin Democrat Sidesteps Questions on Police Abolition Stance During Governor’s Race

State Rep. Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist leading Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, declined to give a direct answer Tuesday when pressed about her long-standing position on police abolition. Following a televised debate where she committed to preserving law enforcement funding, Hong faced repeated questioning from Politico reporter Jonathan Martin at Marquette University in Milwaukee but deflected rather than clarifying her current stance.

Instead of responding directly, Hong emphasized the need to redirect resources toward crime prevention. “So, this system is not working,” she said. “If we want to be serious, we better be putting these billions into things we know prevent crime.” When Martin specifically asked whether she still supported abolishing police long-term, Hong called for “systems of care” and criminal justice spending reform before departing with campaign staff.

Hong’s communications director Allison Geyer told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that the candidate’s core values regarding police and prison abolition remained unchanged, though her messaging has evolved. “Rep. Hong has spoken in the past about police and prison abolition as an aspirational goal, akin to eradicating disease or eliminating poverty,” Geyer said. “Her values haven’t changed, but the way she talks about this issue has.”

During the debate, all five Democratic gubernatorial candidates, including Hong, stated they would not sign a state budget that cuts police funding. Hong reiterated her position bluntly: “The governor cannot defund police, and I am not here to govern by slogan. I am here to make sure I am the governor that’s most serious about public safety.”

The renewed scrutiny traces back to Hong’s 2021 social media post following the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha. After federal prosecutors declined to charge the officer involved, Hong wrote: “How is 7 bullets in the back not excessive force. Police exist to uphold White supremacy. Defund then abolish. Reform can’t be an option. My heart breaks for the trauma the Blake family and their community continues to endure.”

Hong’s current campaign platform focuses on noncarceral crime-prevention initiatives, reentry services, red flag laws, universal background checks and safe-storage requirements. The platform’s public safety section makes no mention of eliminating police departments or reducing their funding.

A Marquette Law School poll released Wednesday showed Hong commanding 38% support among Democratic primary voters, up sharply from 26% one week prior. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes trailed at 16%, while Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley registered 7%, with 34% undecided. The survey of 407 primary voters carried a 6.6-percentage-point margin of error.

Hong’s primary surge has alarmed Democratic officials concerned about her viability in November against expected Republican nominee Rep. Tom Tiffany. Democratic strategist Joe Zepecki accused Republicans of attempting to influence the primary race. “Every Democratic campaign should call this out for what it is: a sneaky, underhanded, blatant attempt to meddle in the democratic process,” Zepecki told Wisconsin Public Radio.

The Republican Governors Association has invested nearly $3.6 million in advertisements portraying Hong as dangerously liberal while amplifying positions designed to appeal to progressive primary voters. Rival Democrat Joel Brennan, a former Wisconsin Department of Administration secretary, contends Hong’s positions on police and prison abolition place her outside mainstream Wisconsin values.