Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong, a Democratic socialist, is under renewed scrutiny after older social media posts resurfaced showing her criticizing — and at times ridiculing — traditional American holidays.
Hong, a Korean-American chef who later entered state politics, has been pressed to respond as opponents point to the posts as evidence of a disconnect between her views and the traditions observed by millions of Americans.
One controversial Thanksgiving message from 2021, which is no longer visible on her X account, 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.”
Republican critics quickly amplified the post, accusing Hong of taking aim at one of the country’s most widely recognized and celebrated holidays.
The backlash comes as a potentially sensitive issue in the Democratic primary, where the eventual nominee is expected to face likely Republican contender Tom Tiffany.
Hong currently leads the Democratic field in the race for Wisconsin governor, according to the Marquette Law School Poll.
A July 22 survey found Hong at 26 percent support among Democratic primary voters, followed by Mandela Barnes at 15 percent before he left the race. With 45 percent of voters still undecided, the contest remained highly fluid.
Meanwhile, two-term Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has endorsed Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.
Democratic Socialist Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong now says Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday, despite a resurfaced and since-deleted 2021 post on X in which she called to ‘cancel Thanksgiving’
Two-term Democratic Governor Tony Evers has thrown his support behind David Crowley (L) in the Wisconsin governor’s race, endorsing the Milwaukee County executive as his preferred successor
Hong has spoken about her son’s identity as a biracial child, saying that navigating how his Korean and white heritage shapes his identity, and how others perceive him, is always at the back of her mind
During an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Hong was pressed on whether she still believed Thanksgiving should be canceled.
Rather than giving a simple yes-or-no answer, Hong 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 said gathering around a table and sharing a meal was meaningful, but said 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.
The explanation did little to calm her conservative critics.
Senator Ted Cruz attacked the controversy during a Fox News appearance, saying critics on the left wanted to ‘cancel Thanksgiving’ and ‘cancel Christmas.’
Republican Representative Tiffany, her likely Wisconsin gubernatorial opponent, also took aim at Hong.
‘I won’t cancel Thanksgiving. I can’t say the same about my likely Democrat Socialist opponent, Francesca Hong,’ he wrote.
Representative Brendan Boyle defended Thanksgiving as an ‘all-American holiday,’ joking that the only people who truly found the holiday painful were ‘Cowboys fans’ watching their team lose.
In a recent interview for the Politico Playbook podcast, Hong declared Thanksgiving her ‘favorite holiday’ – marking a dramatic change from her earlier social media posts calling for the holiday to be ‘canceled’ over its links to colonialism.
Asked about her past call to ‘cancel Thanksgiving,’ Hong appeared to distance herself from the controversy, saying she still embraces the celebration.
‘My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving,’ Hong said. ‘Yup. I don’t want to cancel it, I actually love it.
In another resurfaced X post, Hong wrote: ‘I do not enjoy fireworks.’
She also criticized a Christmas-themed computer background added by a remote worker, writing: ‘IT bro who was working on ‘our’ computer remotely changed the background theme to snow and Christmas trees. I feel slightly attacked.’
Critics have also highlighted comments about Valentine’s Day and the restaurant industry.
‘I miss working in a restaurant every day… except on VDay,’ Hong wrote.
‘As if we weren’t invisible enough to those who don’t recognize the emotional and physical labor of service work, 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 the car headed to Superior. I have about 30 minutes. Ask me anything and I’ll try to answer. (Only subject off limits is Halloween – not my thing.)’
Wisconsin Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong speaks during a campaign rally
But despite the controversy surrounding her American holiday views, Hong’s background reflects that of the average first-generation American immigrant story.
A 2021 The Cap Times profile on Hong gives a glimpse into her background.
According to the outlet, Hong’s parents, Jinkuk and Youngjoo Hong, arrived in the United States from South Korea in 1987 shortly after getting married and settled in Madison, Wisconsin.
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, earning a music education degree from UW-Madison.
She went on to become a longtime Wisconsin music teacher, choir director and church musician, building 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.
And 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.
Hong’s background reflects that of the average first-generation American immigrant story
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, becoming 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.
