2026-08-12 · contested story
Socialist Francesca Hong Narrowly Loses Wisconsin Gubernatorial Primary After 'Cancel Thanksgiving' Controversy
State Representative Francesca Hong, a 37-year-old democratic socialist and former chef, entered Wisconsin's August 11, 2026 Democratic gubernatorial primary as the clear frontrunner but narrowly lost to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the establishment-backed candidate endorsed by outgoing Governor Tony Evers. Crowley won by roughly 3,200 votes out of more than 787,000 cast (39.8% to 39.4%), an outcome the AP did not call until early Wednesday morning. Hong's candidacy became a national story after resurfaced social media posts—especially a 2020 'Cancel Thanksgiving' tweet describing the holiday as 'celebrating colonialism'—dominated the final weeks of the race, alongside her past comments on defunding police. The primary was also roiled by chaos as multiple candidates dropped out (Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez amid a campaign finance scandal, and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes), and Crowley re-entered after briefly quitting.
How each side frames it
left
"This really should not require clarification, as no one seriously believes otherwise, but the fact that it does tells us what a beleaguered state the Democratic establishment finds itself in as it seeks to defeat Hong."
""Cancel Thanksgiving" was the only bullet left in the gun, which does not render it any less pathetic."
"Hong, for her part, has the by now commonplace backlog of kind of inflammatory social media posts from half a decade ago, including espousing wacky-sounding leftist ideas."
"Hong's actual campaign has been laser-focused on not-terribly-radical policy."
"the vast majority of media coverage surrounding the race is now oriented not around Hong's policy platform but her supposedly nefarious designs against the holidays."
center
"Some Democratic officials in Wisconsin privately note Republicans have a big opportunity to hammer Hong on democratic socialism, which had a net negative rating among all registered voters in a July Marquette Law School poll."
"she faces new scrutiny over past social media posts that called to end Thanksgiving, criticized Valentine's Day and described an experience at a Culver's that made her uncomfortable because of "many old white people who didn't think we spoke english.""
"But her statements about policing and holidays and race are things that the average person in Wisconsin has feelings about and will respond to, and mostly not in a positive way."
"In a contest roiled by an unstable field and late controversies surrounding the democratic socialist front-runner, Milwaukee's county executive wins."
"Connor was referencing a now-infamous social media post from 2020, in which Hong wrote, "Cancel Thanksgiving. Should have done this in 1621.""
right
""Crossing over to vote for Francesca Hong is a big risk because she would be VERY dangerous if she was Governor,""
"socialists like Hong "want to destroy the traditions and culture that unite us. They want to tear America apart.""
"the 37-year-old former chef and single mother is backed by top nationally known progressives"
"Hong is a card-carrying DSA member who previously called for abolishing the police and even argued that Americans should no longer celebrate Thanksgiving due to its allegedly problematic origins."
"It's part of the broader socialist message that seeks to tear down the traditions, institutions, and values that bring Americans together. Whether it's Thanksgiving, Christmas, Culver's, the police, or even Valentine's Day"
What each side left out
The left left out — covered by the Politico & Forbes
- Hong's net-negative rating for democratic socialism among registered voters in Marquette polling
- The detail that she trailed Tiffany in head-to-head general-election matchups
The left left out — covered by the USA Today & The Intercept partially
- The Culver's post about 'old white people who didn't think we spoke english' and her 'proximity to whiteness' comments
The right left out — covered by the National Review & Time & MS NOW & The American Prospect
- That Republican-aligned groups (RGA) spent ~$3.5 million boosting Hong precisely because they viewed her as the weaker general-election candidate
- That her policy platform focused heavily on affordability, childcare, and data centers
The right left out — covered by the The Guardian & The 19th & Newsweek
- Hong's grassroots organizing scale (100,000+ doors knocked, no TV ads) and enthusiasm among young voters
The center left out — covered by the The Intercept & Fox News
- Explicit editorializing on whether the Thanksgiving controversy was legitimate or a bad-faith distraction—center outlets largely present it neutrally without taking a side
What's actually true?
[verified] Crowley narrowly defeated Hong by roughly 3,200 votes out of over 787,000 cast (39.8% to 39.4%)
[verified] Hong wrote in November 2020: '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.'
[verified] Republican-aligned groups (Republican Governors Association via Right Direction Wisconsin) spent roughly $3.5 million boosting Hong, believing she'd be the weaker general-election opponent
[verified] Neither Bernie Sanders nor Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Hong, unlike other progressive candidates this cycle
[verified] Gov. Tony Evers endorsed Crowley and said 'probably not' when asked if Hong could win the general election
[verified] When asked on CNN if she still believed Thanksgiving should be canceled, Hong gave a non-committal answer, saying 'views can evolve' and that Thanksgiving 'is also a time that's incredibly painful for many people in our communities'
[verified] Hong later told Politico that Thanksgiving is her 'favorite holiday' and that she does not want to cancel it
[verified] The Democratic primary was chaotic, with Sara Rodriguez dropping out over a campaign finance scandal and Mandela Barnes dropping out, while Crowley re-entered after briefly quitting, all with names still appearing on ballots
The narrative clash
Whether the Thanksgiving controversy was a legitimate voter concern or a manufactured distraction
Left: "Cancel Thanksgiving" was the only bullet left in the gun, which does not render it any less pathetic.
Right: It's part of the broader socialist message that seeks to tear down the traditions, institutions, and values that bring Americans together.
Whether Hong's platform is radical or moderate
Left: Hong's actual campaign has been laser-focused on not-terribly-radical policy.
Right: Hong is a card-carrying DSA member who previously called for abolishing the police and even argued that Americans should no longer celebrate Thanksgiving due to its allegedly problematic origins.
114 sources analyzed
Minnesota Reformer Politico The Intercept The American Prospect New York Magazine The Damage Report cnn.com NBC News MPR News washingtonpost.com The Guardian USA Today PBS startribune.com nj.com The Independent MSN (UK) USA Today USA Today USA Today USA Today USA Today USA Today Bloomberg.com USA Today USA Today USA Today apnews.com USA Today economist.com ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos Time Magazine Forbes MS NOW WEAU The 19th News Milwaukee Journal Sentinel NewsNation newyorker.com WSJ State Navigate Straight Arrow fox6now.com Spectrum News 13 Newsweek PBS Wisconsin Local 3 News The Hill WPR Wisconsin State Journal News of the United States - NOTUS Civic Media Fox Business 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS LiveNOW from FOX Yahoo reuters.com Axios news.kalshi.com cbsnews.com OddsShopper today.com cookpolitical.com Jewish Insider the-independent.com Pioneer Press Roll Call EL PAÍS English FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul Semafor InForum WPRI.com Yahoo News UK Urban Milwaukee KOMU 8 kare11.com Межа. Новини України. WMTV 15 NEWS The Cap Times WTMJ Wisconsin Examiner news8000.com WLUK Wisconsin Right Now CBS58 WSAW wizmnews.com 715Newsroom.com State Affairs TMJ4 News Yellow.com WBAY 101 WIXX In Business Madison WKOW Northern News Now The Milwaukee Courier WUWM eciks.org The Seattle Times Fortune Iowa Public Radio KOCO 5 ABC 16 WAPT KOAT Action 7 News WDSU WMTW 8 IndyStar nypost.com Fox News Charlie Kirk National Review Caller Times The Herald News