Wisconsin Democrat Faces Primary Challenge After Resurfaced Holiday Posts

Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong is in trouble in Wisconsin. Her campaign just faced a fresh political storm after old social media posts resurfaced. These images show her criticizing and sometimes mocking traditional holidays. Now critics are using them to argue there is a deep divide between Hong's personal views and the customs millions of Americans celebrate every year.

A specific post from 2021 on X has caused the most heat. It has since vanished from her profile, but the text remains online elsewhere. The message read, 'Cancel Thanksgiving. Should have done this in 1621. If it takes a worldwide pandemic for us to realize we should stop celebrating colonialism and the original superspreader event that killed Indigenous folx and women so be it.' Republicans quickly seized on these words. They accused Hong of attacking one of America's most widely celebrated holidays. This issue could decide the outcome of the Democratic primary as she runs against likely Republican Tom Tiffany.

The numbers show a tight race. The Marquette Law School Poll says Hong currently leads the field for the Democratic nomination. A poll taken on July 22 showed her ahead with 26 percent support. Mandela Barnes trailed with 15 percent before dropping out of the contest. Still, nearly half of all voters remain undecided at 45 percent. That large pool means the race is still wide open. Two-term Governor Tony Evers has thrown his weight behind Milwaukee County executive David Crowley as his preferred successor.

Hong has tried to walk back her past words. She now says Thanksgiving is actually her favorite holiday, a sharp pivot from that deleted post where she called for cancellation. During an interview with CNN's Kaitlan Collins, reporters pressed her on whether she still believes the holiday should be canceled. Hong refused to give a simple yes-or-no answer. Instead, she pointed to her background as a chef and community organizer.

'I'm a chef, and one of the first meals that I made that was for the community when I was 16 was a Thanksgiving meal,' Hong said. She acknowledged that gathering around a table and sharing food is meaningful. At the same time, she noted the holiday carries painful history for some communities. 'I wanted to make sure that people understood that there are multiple views, but views can evolve,' Hong said. This explanation did little to calm her conservative critics.

Senator Ted Cruz attacked the controversy during a Fox News appearance. He said critics on the left want to cancel Thanksgiving and Christmas alike. Republican Representative Tiffany, who is running against Hong for governor, also took aim at her. 'I won't cancel Thanksgiving,' she stated clearly. The backlash shows how volatile this election could become if past comments continue to surface.

Representative Brendan Boyle recently defended Thanksgiving as a true all-American holiday. He joked that only Cowboys fans truly find the day painful when watching their team lose. But he could not say the same about his likely Democrat Socialist opponent, Francesca Hong.

Hong declared Thanksgiving her favorite holiday in a recent interview for the Politico Playbook podcast. This marks a dramatic change from her earlier social media posts calling for the holiday to be canceled over its links to colonialism. When asked about that past call to cancel the day, she appeared to distance herself from the controversy. She stated she still embraces the celebration.

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving, Hong said in the interview. Yup. I don't want to cancel it, I actually love it. This shift comes after resurfaced posts on X where she wrote she does not enjoy fireworks. Critics also highlighted her comments regarding Valentine's Day and the restaurant industry. She once posted that she misses working in a restaurant every day except on VDay.

As if we weren't invisible enough to those who do not recognize the emotional and physical labor of service work, Hong wrote. The worst of humanity comes out from folks celebrating on another day capitalism tells you how to show love. Even Halloween was something Hong once said was off-limits in an interview setting. She noted that asking her questions in a car heading to Superior had one subject off limits because it is not her thing.

Wisconsin Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong speaks during a campaign rally. Despite the controversy surrounding her views on American holidays, Hong's background reflects that of the average first-generation American immigrant story. A 2021 The Cap Times profile gives a glimpse into her history. Her parents, Jinkuk and Youngjoo Hong, arrived in the United States from South Korea in 1987 shortly after getting married and settled in Madison.

Her father pursued sociology studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and worked as a researcher at the university's Waisman Center. Her mother, Youngjoo, initially stayed home raising Francesca and her sister before returning to school herself. She earned a music education degree from UW-Madison and went on to become a longtime Wisconsin music teacher, choir director and church musician. She built deep ties in Madison's Korean-American and Catholic communities.

Youngjoo spent decades teaching children, directing choirs and serving local churches – a life centered around education, family and community. Before Hong became a progressive political figure, she had what you would consider a classic American upbringing. She attended Madison West High School where she served as co-captain of the varsity soccer team while working as a server at a Korean fusion steakhouse.

Before becoming a state representative and gubernatorial candidate, Hong made her name in Madison's restaurant scene. After dropping out of the University of Wisconsin at Madison to pursue culinary ambitions, she climbed the industry quickly. She became executive chef at the now-closed American bistro 43 North at just 23-years-old – one of the few women leading an upscale downtown kitchen at the time. In 2016, Hong opened Morris Ramen with her husband, chef Matt Morris, shortly after the birth of their son. The restaurant closed in 2024.

Hong has often described the restaurant industry as where she found belonging, connection and community – a message she later used while defending her Thanksgiving post.