Francesca Hong faces scrutiny over past political statements

Wisconsin State Assembly member Francesca Hong, the leading candidate for the Democratic gubernatorial primary, is facing scrutiny over past social media statements. Hong has recently walked back several positions held between 2019 and 2021, including calls to cancel Thanksgiving to avoid celebrating colonialism, proposals to defund and abolish the police, and suggestions to abolish the Senate.

Hong addressed the controversy by stating she has evolved and learned from her previous “hot takes” on Twitter. In response to questions regarding her past views, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defended the importance of assessing a candidate’s current platform rather than focusing solely on past rhetoric.