A leading Democratic candidate for governor of Wisconsin previously called for Americans to “Cancel Thanksgiving,” describing the holiday as a celebration of colonialism and the original deadly “superspreader event.” Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong made the comments in a social media post during the COVID-19 pandemic, years before emerging as one of the top contenders for her party’s gubernatorial nomination. The deleted post has now resurfaced as voters prepare to choose the Democratic nominee on August 11th.
Hong is currently a Democratic Wisconsin state representative, serving the 76th Assembly District in Madison. She was first elected in 2020 and took office in January 2021, and has filed not to seek reelection to the Assembly in 2026 because she is running for governor. She is also a Democratic socialist who has secured backing from the Democratic Socialists of America and built momentum in the crowded race to replace outgoing Democratic Governor Tony Evers.
Her previous statements have received renewed attention as her chances of winning the nomination have grown. Her Thanksgiving post provides a look at the types of politics Hong has publicly embraced before launching her statewide campaign. “Cancel Thanksgiving. Should have done this in 1621,” Hong wrote in November 2020.
“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,” Hong wrote. Fox News shared the resurfaced message Friday as Hong solidified her position near the front of the Democratic field. The candidate’s original post has since been deleted, but screenshots continued circulating online.
The post is receiving new scrutiny because Hong is no longer an obscure state legislator making provocative statements during the pandemic. She is now campaigning to run Wisconsin and could soon become the Democratic Party’s statewide nominee. Her rise has placed old posts about Thanksgiving, policing, immigration enforcement, the United States Senate, and race back before Wisconsin voters.
See the resurfaced “Cancel Thanksgiving” post here:
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Hong has openly embraced the socialist label during her campaign, describing her politics as an effort to ensure that “working-class people have their fair share.” Her platform reportedly includes publicly funded grocery stores, a state-run bank, and grants for social workers distributed according to race. She has also faced questions about previous calls to defund the police, eliminate Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and abolish the United States Senate.
Another resurfaced post showed Hong complaining about becoming anxious while visiting a Culver’s restaurant in Black River Falls, Wisconsin, because she believed there were too many elderly white customers inside. “Mostly just wanted to leave bc I was on the verge of a anxiety attack,” she wrote in the 2019 post. Hong attributed the reaction to “too many old white people who didn’t think we spoke english.”
The old posts surfaced during a sudden shake-up in the Democratic primary. Former Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes suspended his campaign on Thursday, removing one of the most recognizable candidates from the contest. His withdrawal left Hong and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley as the two principal contenders heading into the August 11th vote, giving Wisconsin Democrats a choice that could place the Hong at the top of their statewide ticket.