Hong’s recent national media appearances have some Wisconsin Democrats worried
“The central tension of this campaign is between the folks who want (Francesca Hong) to be governor of Wisconsin, and the folks who want (her campaign) to be for socialism,” one source said.
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer.
Francesca Hong, the state representative from Madison who has become the frontrunner in the Democratic primary in the race for governor, has some in Wisconsin Democratic circles concerned following a round of national media interviews that have drawn negative attention to her and her campaign.
Those appearances have some questioning if her campaign is ready for the rigors of a general election battle against presumptive Republican nominee, Congressman Tom Tiffany, if she were to become the nominee. Polls have shown Hong with a commanding lead with days to go before the Aug. 11 primary.
In response to questions from The Recombobulation Area regarding these recent interviews, Allison Geyer, Hong campaign communications director, said:
“Rep. Hong is talking to anyone and everyone about her platform to stop AI data centers and tax the rich to make Wisconsin more affordable by guaranteeing universal childcare, expanded healthcare, fully funded schools, and more. Fran’s campaign for governor is different because we want to talk to voters everywhere, any way we can, and not just rely on 30-second TV ads. That’s why we’re the only campaign that has made more than 300 stops across Wisconsin and will knock 500,000 doors by Aug. 11 with our more than 7,000 volunteers.”
Hong has run an unconventional campaign for governor — Geyer characterized it as a “grassroots, outsider campaign” — and she found success on that path. Polls from Marquette University and State Navigate showed Hong well ahead of the Democratic primary field, a group that now includes Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, State Sen. Kelda Roys, and former Department of Administration secretary Joel Brennan. Each of those three candidates polled in single digits in the July 29 Marquette poll, with Hong at 38%1.
But recent appearances in higher-profile settings have brought a renewed sense of concern over her campaign and whether it has the experience necessary to win a statewide general election, according to multiple sources in Democratic circles in Wisconsin.
These concerns escalated following a primetime interview on “The Source” with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Monday, Aug. 3, where Hong was asked about prior comments she’d made about whether she believed Thanksgiving should be canceled, calling the holiday a “time that’s incredibly painful for many people in our communities.” The next day’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel headline read, “In CNN interview, Hong doesn’t back off ‘cancel Thanksgiving’ post”.
“She needs to broaden the circle of advisers she speaks with every day,” said one source with connections to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin (DPW). “Her current team may be effective at organizing and mobilizing the DSA-aligned left, but she lacks seasoned Wisconsin electoral and media experts in her senior inner circle. Strategists that have a track record of winning statewide. That needs to change ASAP.”
Since the Monday interview on CNN, Hong has responded differently in an interview with POLITICO:
Over the last week, the Hong campaign has made many national media appearances, including those on Fox News, CNN, NewsNation/The Hill, Pod Save America, and now POLITICO. Some recently resurfaced controversial tweets that have come under scrutiny in recent days have become topics of some of those interviews.
Asked why Hong has been spending so much time in national media interviews and appearances the last few days, Geyer said:
