Francesca Hong isn't hiding the ball. The Madison Democrat is a Wisconsin state representative, a candidate for governor, and a self-described democratic socialist.
Her campaign sells her as a state representative, single mom, restaurant worker, chef, and fighter for working families. Her bio says she's a “Democratic state representative and democratic socialist.”
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers is in his final term and isn't seeking reelection, thank God!, which means the 2026 governor's race is wide open. Hong entered the race as a progressive outsider, and has been trying to prove Madison politics can travel beyond Madison.
If she wins the Democratic primary, Wisconsin voters may get a direct test of how far left the state's Democratic Party is willing to go.
The latest fight comes from Hong's comments on so-called gender-affirming care, or putting it more precisely, mutilation of our children. During a January podcast appearance, she said Wisconsin should expand health care, “especially gender-affirming care,” and look for ways to invest in clinics that provide it. From Breitbart:
During a January appearance on the Take 2 Podcast, Hong called for expanding access to gender-affirming care, saying Wisconsin should invest in clinics that provide the treatment, including for transgender youth.
“We have to look at expanding health care, especially gender-affirming care. And right now, when our hospitals are under threat of providing gender-affirming care, which hospitals have paused right now,” Hong said. “We have to make sure that communities are coming together to stand up for trans rights. Look at ways that we can invest in clinics to still provide that care, and be vocal about uplifting trans joy, and defending trans lives.”
The same report said her comments included transgender youth, which turns the issue from a culture-war slogan into a taxpayer question.
Dem Francesca Hong lays out her plan to stop immigration enforcement:
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 2, 2026
“I think it’s paramount that the executive... ensure that we’re protecting all communities from the enforcers of fascism, which is ICE.... that we prohibit... local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE.” pic.twitter.com/uQ7y5zqLLi
Wisconsin parents don't need a lecture from Madison about compassion; they need straight answers. What procedures are being discussed? Who pays for them? What role do parents have? What age limits apply? Which clinics get state support?
A candidate who wants the governor's office should answer those questions before asking taxpayers to fund a medical and moral fight many families didn't choose.
The issue is already live in Wisconsin. Children's Wisconsin and UW Health paused some mutilation procedures for minors after President Donald Trump's administration moved against transition-related services involving puberty-blocking medications and hormone therapy.
Advocacy groups have pushed the hospitals to resume the care, while families across the state are left watching a legal and political fight move through children's hospitals.
Hong's campaign is also not some lone Madison experiment. Milwaukee Democratic Socialists of America endorses her campaign for Wisconsin governor and says it's advancing its socialist movement “to the state level.”
Socialist gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong: "Nobody should be cooperating with the enforcers of fascism that is ICE."
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) July 3, 2026
She wishes Wisconsin would declare a state of emergency over deportations and says she wants to give state grants to "immigrant justice organizations,"… pic.twitter.com/YHMe8T32ie
A candidate can wear that label proudly; voters can also decide whether they want it anywhere near the state budget, Medicaid policy, schools, hospitals, and law enforcement.
Del Gue's old line from Jeremiah Johnson fits Wisconsin politics:
“Here's where the people is.”
Rural Wisconsin can cover a map in red, and it often does. President Trump won 59 of Wisconsin's 72 counties in 2024, while Kamala Harris won 13.
Dane and Milwaukee counties still carry huge Democratic margins, and those margins can outweigh a lot of red ground.
That's the danger for Republicans and normal Democrats alike. A state can look conservative by county, and still a few dense urban strongholds can drag it left.
Wisconsin knows the drill. The taverns, farms, paper mills, machine shops, and deer camps may see a very different state from the one built in activist meetings and college-town politics.
The 2026 race isn't only about who replaces Tony Evers; it's about whether Wisconsin becomes the next proving ground for socialist politics dressed up as care.
Hong has put the question on the table; voters should make every candidate answer it before the cities decide for everyone else.
Hong may be sincere; she may believe every plank of her platform serves working families. Sincerity doesn't make the bill smaller, the policy safer, or the government less intrusive.
When a candidate ties public money to what's essentially professional child abuse, voters deserve more than warm words about inclusion. They deserve exact terms, hard limits, and a clear explanation for why taxpayers should be drafted into it.
PJ Media readers know these fights do not stay in New York, California, or Washington, D.C. They come for Wisconsin, too. Join PJ Media VIP while the 74% discount is live. Use promo code FIGHT.
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