Francesca Hong is dishing up a Wisconsin campaign that is about the working class and Israel

Meet Wisconsin’s Mamdani.

Francesca Hong is operating for governor of Wisconsin emphasizing affordability and opposition to U.S. assist for Israel.

Her message is one the Republican Governor’s Affiliation hopes to spice up forward of the Democratic main subsequent month: It unveiled an advert on Thursday dubbing her “too liberal” for Wisconsin – set to run in liberal elements of the state.

The calculus seems to be to make her seem interesting to a restive Democratic base that in quite a few races countrywide has turned in opposition to the social gathering institution, in hopes of elevating to the nomination an unabashed left-winger who seemingly would lose in an important swing state. Zohran Mamdani might take Manhattan, the considering goes, however his insurance policies would curdle cheese in Wisconsin.

Hong is a single mother and a former chef whose political recipe for interesting to voters has vaulted her in entrance of the state’s crowded Democratic main, bringing one other democratic socialist inside hanging distance of victory.

“I’m State Consultant Francesca Hong. I’m a service employee, group organizer, and a mother. I work for a residing, all the time have, nonetheless do,” Hong mentioned in a video saying her candidacy as she wore an apron and strolled by a kitchen she had beforehand labored in. “5 years in the past, my group despatched me to the Capitol. The system is rigged. I’m operating for governor to repair it.”

Hong’s marketing campaign has centered affordability points, together with housing, schooling and childcare. It highlights her private story because the baby of South Korean immigrants.

It’s her document on Israel and antisemitism that has drawn scrutiny from some Wisconsin Jews. Throughout her marketing campaign, Hong has taken a extra sharply vital stance in the direction of Israel whereas sustaining that assist for Palestinian rights shouldn’t be conflated with antisemitism. She has additionally referred to as Israel’s actions in Gaza represent a genocide.

Jeremy Tunis, the co-chair of the group relations committee of the Jewish Federation of Madison, mentioned Hong has aligned herself with an ascendant wave of democratic socialist candidates which have gained floor in races throughout the nation, together with in New York, Pennsylvania and Colorado.

“In my opinion she is making an attempt to leverage the present far-left progressive zeitgeist that has swept in sure areas, specifically in New York with Zohran Mamdani,” Tunis, who defined that his private views don’t symbolize these of the federation.

For different Jews within the state, Hong’s bid for the Democratic nomination sparked concern about how she may fare within the November normal election in opposition to presumptive Republican nominee Tom Tiffany.

“She’s in all probability the least electable of the candidates operating,” Marc Herstand, a 74-year-old Jewish Madison resident, mentioned. “Wisconsin is a purple state, very purple, and democratic socialism isn’t going to go over effectively exterior of the liberal communities of Madison, Milwaukee, and … in among the different cities.”

Tunis mentioned Hong’s broader political document, together with earlier calls to defund the police, may make her a troublesome Democratic nominee in a divided state.

“There’s in all probability an urge for food for it in lots of locations, however … I really feel strongly that she can be among the many weakest normal election candidates for quite a lot of causes, not simply her stances on points surrounding antisemitism and anti-Zionism,” Tunis mentioned. “She’s taken lots of pretty controversial positions that for a 50-50 state, I believe, wouldn’t serve effectively within the normal election.”

The numbers seem to inform a special story. The race’s most up-to-date polling, performed earlier this month, had Hong main with 30% of the votes forward of former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, at 28%. One other ballot in March had Hong with 14% of votes and Barnes with 11%.

The July ballot, performed by Wedgewood polls, additionally discovered that Hong led with 47% of the vote in opposition to Tiffany with 44% when examined for the November normal election.

Herstand, who’s a member of the Jewish Democrats caucus on the Wisconsin Democratic State Conference, mentioned that whereas he believed Tiffany was “tremendously worse” than Hong, he was involved how her potential nomination would play out amongst the state’s Jews.

“It’s going to relax Jewish assist if she will get the nomination,” Herstand mentioned. “Will they maintain their nostril and vote for her? Yeah. Will they work actively for her? In all probability not. Will she want each Democrat to work actively for her to win? Yep.”

Wisconsin State Rep. Francesca Hong speaks in assist of Wisconsinites as they name on U.S. President Joe Biden and Congress to take a position $10 trillion for local weather, care, jobs, and justice and reject “bipartisan” offers that fail to ship what’s wanted on June 08, 2021 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Andy Manis/Getty Photos for Inexperienced New Deal Community)

Talking to fellow progressives at a digital rally Monday evening, Hong framed her marketing campaign as a check of the left’s rising political energy.

“Employees are reclaiming our energy, and this is a chance to make sure that the remainder of politics throughout our nation, I imagine, can change after we win right here in Wisconsin,” Hong mentioned. “As a result of they are saying, as goes Wisconsin, as goes the nation.” She didn’t talk about Israel or antisemitism in the course of the rally.

Different candidates took pictures on the pro-Israel foyer AIPAC and Israeli settler violence within the West Financial institution, and a few attendees on the on-line rally despatched messages within the chat questioning her pro-Palestinian bonafides in gentle of her silence on the difficulty. “Is she actually a Zionist?,” requested one attendee, whereas one other wrote, “She owns AIPAC.”

Hong has spurned AIPAC assist, although the group largely spends in federal elections.

Earlier this month, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Hong was now apologizing for a December 2023 name to the Madison police to report a vandalized Israeli flag, out of concern that the incident was “extremely antisemitic” and urging that or not it’s investigated as a hate crime.

Earlier this month, requested to elucidate her calls to police, she informed the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that it was an motion “I remorse deeply.”

“Three years in the past, there was a bit of protest artwork on the encampments in Madison, which was photographed and posted to social media,” Hong mentioned in a press release. “My constituents reported they felt threatened and alerted me to the social put up, however the picture was cropped and incomplete to misrepresent anti-Zionism as antisemitism – a distinction I take significantly.”

Every week after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 assault on Israel, Hong posted on social media a plea to “stop additional devastation in Gaza; we can’t reply battle crimes with battle crimes.”

“To the Jewish group right here and world wide, I really like you with my complete being and am praying to your security,” Hong wrote. “Please know my coronary heart continues to be with the Israeli & Palestinian folks by this harrowing time.”

Since then, Hong has launched laws that will repeal a 2018 regulation banning state contracts with companies that boycott Israel, and criticized outgoing outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers for recognizing the Worldwide Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism. She has highlighted each efforts on her marketing campaign web site.

Hong has obtained endorsements from Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Ro Khanna of California, each staunch Israel critics, in addition to three Democratic Socialists of America chapters in Wisconsin.

Governor candidate Francesca Hong supporters react throughout Wisconsin Democrats 2026 Conference on June 14, 2026 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Daniel Boczarski/Getty Photos for WisDems)

Hong’s marketing campaign drew additional scrutiny after she appeared on each Hasan Piker’s present and on a stream hosted by Michael Beyer, an influencer often known as “Mike from PA” who got here beneath hearth after saying that Jewish identification is “a constructed ethnicity, this demonic ethnicity, wholly invented.”

“If Wisconsin goes to be a state that truly values human rights, then now we have to make sure that we’re supporting, we’re preventing for the pro-Palestine motion,” Hong mentioned on Beyer’s present in October.

She additionally inspired constituents to fundraise for folks on the “entrance strains in Gaza and the West Financial institution.”

Hong appeared a second time on Beyer’s present final month, telling the host that “The folks deserve leaders who lead with ethical braveness and ethical readability, and the litmus check is to say explicitly that what is going on in Gaza is a genocide.”

Hong raised roughly $35,000 from Beyer’s livestream and $57,000 from Piker’s.

Herstand mentioned that he was “completely appalled” by Hong’s resolution to sit down down with the influencers.

“It’s unconscionable for her to do and fundraise with them,” Herstand mentioned. “She ought to return the cash she made with these antisemitic influencers, and she or he ought to denounce the hate that they unfold in opposition to Jews.”

Hong’s appearances on the podcasts additionally sparked condemnation from Ann Jacobs, the Democratic chair of the Wisconsin Elections Fee.

“If you resolve these are the form of folks you wish to hang around with in an effort to increase $, you will have made clear that you just both (1) agree with them or (2) might be purchased or (3) each.  Fran Hong seems to be all 3,”  Jacobs, who’s Jewish, wrote in a put up on X. “She is keen to promote out the Jews of Wisconsin for a couple of dollars.”

Hong’s marketing campaign didn’t reply to an inquiry from the Jewish Telegraphic Company about her look on the podcasts, however in an interview with MS Now earlier this month, Hong defended her engagement.

“It’s vital that we get our message out in locations the place campaigns wrestle to achieve voters,” Hong mentioned. “Simply because I’m on a platform actually doesn’t imply that I endorse every little thing that has been mentioned by both the hosts or different individuals who have gone on.”

Hong informed MS Now, “I condemn hatred, discrimination, antisemitism and islamophobia, any form of dehumanizing of communities.”

For Tunis, the group relations co-chair, Hong’s response to criticism of these appearances fell quick.

“I believe that there’s lots of questions that she has not offered ample solutions on, notably her current look and friendliness with Hassan Piker and Mike from PA,” Tunis mentioned. “I believe individuals are ready and watching.”

Miryam Rosenzweig, the president and CEO of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, informed JTA in a press release that the federation’s “concern extends effectively past anybody candidate.”

“Many in Wisconsin’s Jewish group are more and more involved by a political surroundings wherein antisemitic rhetoric is just too usually minimized or excused, the place the alternatives public leaders make concerning the voices they elevate and the platforms they share form that surroundings, and the place too few are keen to confront antisemitism constantly, no matter its supply,” Rosenzweig mentioned.

Waiting for the crowded Aug. 11 Democratic main, Tunis and Herstand mentioned many Wisconsin Jews he had spoken with have been supportive of Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, who was endorsed by Milwaukee County Govt David Crowley earlier this month after he exited the race. Rodriguez got here in third place within the main’s newest polling, receiving 19% of the votes.

“I hope that Francesca Hong can tone down her rhetoric, as a result of I don’t assume that it promotes Jewish group security, and it could actually make life troublesome,” Tunis mentioned. “I hope that she retains an open thoughts as her marketing campaign progresses. I’m not tremendous assured that’s going to be the case.”

If Hong does prevail subsequent month, Herstand mentioned he hoped that she would foster communication with Jewish communities within the state.

“I hope she doesn’t get the nomination, but when she have been to try this, I might hope that she would attain out to the Jewish group and really study a couple of issues that she’s in all probability not conscious of,” he mentioned.