Wisconsin State Rep. Francesca Hong had nine days left before the Democratic primary when she walked onto a South Milwaukee stage with Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and political streamer Hasan Piker. From JNS:
Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong campaigned in Milwaukee on Sunday alongside Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and political commentator Hasan Piker, two figures who have drawn criticism over antisemitic and anti-Israel comments.
Omar and Piker appeared at a rally at South Milwaukee High School to endorse Hong, a Democratic Socialists of America member and state representative who has a record of anti-Israel activism.
Piker has faced accusations of antisemitism over past remarks, including calling Orthodox Jews “inbred” and saying Hamas was “1,000 times” better than the Israeli government. Omar has repeatedly accused Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza amid the Jewish state’s war against Hamas.
Asked after the rally whether campaigning alongside Omar and Piker posed a political risk, Hong told reporters, “It would be a risk not to try to build the broadest coalition possible.”
Asked whether the appearance created political risk, Hong said avoiding the "broadest coalition possible" would be the greater risk.
Hong knew exactly what she was doing; her campaign lists Omar as an endorser, identifies Hong as a Democratic Socialists of America member, and celebrates her place in Wisconsin's Assembly Socialist Caucus.
Ilhan Omar, Congresswoman for the 5th Congressional District of MinnesotaFrancesca Hong leads with moral clarity, compassion, and unmatched courage. Her commitment to building the policies working people need and protecting our most vulnerable populations is essential in our current political climate. Voters are ready for change, and Francesca meets this moment.
Ro Khanna, Congressman for the 17th Congressional District of California
Francesca Hong is running on the platform that voters have been clamoring for for years: investment in our communities rather than endless war, universal childcare, paid leave, funded schools, and affordable healthcare. She understands that the path forward for Democrats is committing to permanent affordability for working families. Wisconsin is a crucial battleground, and Fran is exactly the kind of bold, grassroots-powered leader we need in the governor’s office.
Piker has called Orthodox Jews "inbred" and said Hamas was "1,000 times" better than Israel's government. Omar has accused Israel of genocide, and her congressional website promotes abolishing ICE.
Hong also praised Omar for showing moral conviction and courage.
Those allies may thrill the DSA faithful; they also tell Wisconsin voters what kind of coalition Hong plans to bring into the governor's office.
Wisconsin Democrats routinely forget that there are people who live far beyond Madison. President Donald Trump carried the state in 2024 by 29,397 votes, marking the third straight presidential contest decided by less than 1%.
A candidate seeking to govern such a closely divided state should expand trust beyond an ideological base. Hong used her final week to rally with two national figures known for inflammatory politics.
Hong is the Democratic front-runner. A late July poll placed her at 38%, more than twice the support of her nearest rival at the time. Primary voters may soon hand the rest of Wisconsin a socialist candidate whose national coalition sits well outside the state's political center.
Many of you remarked on the flat, almost robotic delivery in Francesca Hong’s interview yesterday
— Gerald Posner (@geraldposner) August 1, 2026
There has been news since then that might explain it. Independent journalist @PeterBernegger found Hong’s own 2023 interview with a Minneapolis-based food and culture publication,… https://t.co/qlGMcPkhaR
Questions about Hong's temperament can't be brushed aside as partisan cruelty. In a 2023 interview, she described a mental breakdown at 18, psychiatric hospitalization, self-harm, a bipolar diagnosis, and a lithium overdose.
Francesca Hong was diagnosed with 1) bipolar disease, 2) had a mental breakdown, 3) was placed in psychiatric hospitalization, 4) did self-harm by cutting, and 5) experienced a lithium overdose. My source: Francesca Hong in a 2023 interview. Her own words. She is running for… pic.twitter.com/R9pHxnoFGM
— Peter Bernegger (@PeterBernegger) August 1, 2026
Give credit where it's due: Hong deserves credit for speaking openly about painful years and surviving them.
A diagnosis alone can't settle fitness for office; voters should examine her present judgment, emotional steadiness, and conduct under pressure.
Hong's public record supplies reasons for concern without turning mental illness into a political verdict.
Let's compare that line of thinking to our favorite mashed potato president, Joe Biden. Even couch potato shrinks knew Biden was non compos mentis. Yet any conservative who uttered words to that effect was then branded far right.
A resurfaced 2019 post said she was near an anxiety attack at a Culver's because there were too many old white people who assumed her family didn't speak English.
Wisconsin has plenty of older white voters, including farmers, veterans, factory workers, and retirees who deserve a governor capable of meeting them without suspicion or contempt.
Hong does have real-world experience; she worked as a chef, co-owned a restaurant, and has served in the Assembly since 2021. She lacks statewide executive experience, and her campaign keeps substituting ideological enthusiasm for evidence that she can lead people who don't share her politics.
Common sense still carries weight here. Wisconsin voters should judge Hong by the choices she makes, the allies she embraces, and the way she talks about people outside her circle.
Her Sunday rally offered a clear answer, even if her campaign didn't intend it as a warning.
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