Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate and democratic socialist Francesca Hong faced pointed questions Tuesday over her previous support for abolishing police, offering a lengthy response after being challenged about her apparent shift in position.
The exchange took place backstage following a debate when Politico reporter Jonathan Martin asked Hong to explain why she no longer appeared to support eliminating police departments after previously advocating for that position.
Semafor reporter David Weigel captured the interaction and later posted video of it on X.
Martin began by asking Hong a direct question.
“Why do you believe that the police must still exist?” he said.
Hong responded by arguing that the current public safety system is not producing the desired results while emphasizing what she described as the need for a practical approach.
“Because the reality of this moment and the types of public safety systems that we have, I want us to be sensible and realistic,” Hong said.
She argued that billions of dollars have been invested in what she called the criminal legal system without achieving success. Hong also said more money is being spent incarcerating individuals than on tuition at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Rather than focusing solely on law enforcement, Hong said she wants local police working alongside communities while directing additional state resources toward public education, victim services, and after-school programs for children.
Martin’s questioning followed comments Hong made during a local radio interview last week in which she said she “did not believe that police funding should go away.”
That statement stood in contrast to a 2021 post in which Hong declared, “Police exist to uphold white supremacy. Defund then abolish. Reform can’t be an option.”
Martin followed up by asking whether she still ultimately supported abolishing police over the long term.
“Do you still want to long-term abolish police? Ultimately?” he asked.
Hong again avoided giving a direct yes-or-no answer, instead returning to broader themes about public safety and criminal justice.
She said she wanted to be “serious about public safety” and argued that her administration would focus on “building systems of care,” reducing crime, removing guns from the streets, and lowering recidivism rates among formerly incarcerated individuals returning to their communities.
Hong also pointed to prison employees, saying workers within correctional facilities experience some of the highest suicide rates of any occupation.
“So this system is not working,” Hong said. “If we want to be serious, we better be putting these billions into things we know prevent crime.”
Shortly after delivering her answer, Hong was ushered away by a member of her campaign team, ending the exchange.
The questions come as several democratic socialist candidates have secured primary victories in recent months.
In New York, Darializa Avila Chevalier (D) and Claire Valdez (D), both members of the Democratic Socialists of America, won their primaries with the backing of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D). According to the article, both candidates have also agreed with Mamdani on the need to abolish ICE.
The article also notes that the Democratic Socialists of America opposes President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and America’s alliance with Israel, which the organization says has committed a “genocide” in Gaza.
Following those primary victories, Trump sarcastically congratulated Mamdani on electing what he called “solid Communists” before later warning that communists had begun making “their move” in the United States.
“The game is on,” Trump said. “Enjoy watching!”
Trump has continued criticizing socialism and communism in recent speeches, including during his Fourth of July address, where he called communism a “cancer” that must be dealt with quickly. He later described communism as “the single greatest threat” he has seen facing the country.
Hong is currently the front-runner in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, which is scheduled for Aug. 11.
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