A Glimpse At Wisconsin's Political Future-- Meet Francesca Hong

 

Francesca Hong is a super-progressive running for a deep blue Assembly seat in Madison, Wisconsin. And, believe me, the Republicans are going to be very sorry to see her. A champion of the working class, she is fearless, courageous and doesn't take any crap. Born and raised in Madison, she's a first generation Korean American who opened a restaurant and had a son in 2016. She is the co-founder of the Ladies Collective and Cook It Forward and this year organized the first annual Femmestival. Her Republican opponent is running a non-campaign as an extra curricular activity to boost his resume before he goes into real estate development. I asked Francesca to introduce herself and I urge you to consider supporting her. Why? She seems destined for great things-- in the Assembly and beyond.

No Complacency
-by Francesca Hong

The state of Wisconsin has a rich history in progressive politics. In the late 19th century, Milwaukee bricklayers and other laborers showed that strength in numbers far outweighed the power of monetary capital. They organized for fair wages and safe working conditions, and the modern day labor union was born. In 1916, Daniel Hoan was elected Mayor of the city of Milwaukee, sweeping in an era of socialist priorities and policies unmatched by any other city in the nation. Time Magazine even called Milwaukee “...one of the best-run cities in the U.S.” The city of Madison, capital of the state, home to the University of Wisconsin, and exclusively run by the most progressive elected officials in Wisconsin, has repeatedly topped the lists of best places to live and work in the U.S. by academic studies and national magazines. Wisconsin has a world-class, Medicaid-funded healthcare program that provides essentially free care for those who are unable to afford it in the private sector, and it was signed into law by a Republican governor. But the state is slipping.

As the conservative Tea Party movement of 2010 won elections and swept into Congress and state legislatures across the country, Wisconsin lost many of the lawmakers and officials that made the state a shining beacon of progressivism. The GOP-run state legislature, and Scott Walker, the Koch brothers funded governor, gutted public unions, made terrible deals with foreign corporations, and gerrymandered themselves into perpetual one-party rule. As teachers and nurses fled the state for better jobs, the state’s economy took a steep downturn. But Wisconsin fought back.

In the 2018 gubernatorial election, Tony Evers defeated Scott Walker by a slim majority, and pressed pause on the Republican legislature’s undemocratic free-for-all. In April of 2020, the Wisconsin State Supreme Court election was held in the midst of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The conservative-led state court forced voters to cast their ballots in person and liberal judge, Jill Karofsky, still won the election, tipping the scale closer to a liberal majority. In the partisan primary elections in August, record numbers of voters cast their ballots for progressive candidates statewide, including me. I won my election in a packed seven candidate primary in the 76th assembly district that represents the isthmus of Madison. Fifty women are running for state Senate and Assembly seats for the November election. Samba Baldeh is assured to be the first Muslim in the state legislature, and I am all but confirmed to be the first AAPI. But there can be no complacency, we have work to do.

The Wisconsin state legislature has left a lot to be desired in terms of bold, progressive and effective policy making. We are still the most segregated state in the nation. In the next two years, we must push through a comprehensive legislative agenda that centers racial equity and uplifts our working class and communities of color. And yes, while gerrymandering has infringed upon the democratic process in our state legislature, we cannot lose hope that a better Wisconsin-- one that serves the people, especially our youth-- is possible.

Moving forward, our vision is a constituency in the 76th assembly district that knows its representative is fighting every day to make their voices heard. This isn’t a job and I am not a representative. It is a movement, and I am a conduit. My task is not to be the voice of the 76th district in the legislature, but to lift the voices of this community so that they may lead this progressive movement. And we must get started immediately.

We will fight for a Green New Deal that centers racial equity, union jobs, agricultural infrastructure, a carbon-free 2030, and a progressive tax reform that holds the wealthiest accountable to finally pay their fair share. We can no longer allow the billionaires to ravage the state of its resources and destroy our infrastructure in the process. That’s not capitalism, that’s corporate vandalism.

We must push for a better Badgercare for all. No one should have to pay for a single doctor’s visit or medical procedure in this state, especially during a global pandemic. Women should have full body autonomy, which include access to abortions and sexual health services without the intrusion of career politicians and religious zealots. It’s time we take politics out of reproductive health.

We know that all Wisconsinites deserve the very basic human rights of a living wage, healthcare and access to opportunity so they can be agents of their own change to build a better tomorrow. The role of state government is to enable coalition building and provide our citizens with the tools to participate in an egalitarian democracy. This state has served the people before, and I am confident we can do it again. I will hold myself accountable every single day to uphold these values and I will challenge both Democrats and Republicans to be responsible and accountable to the highest standard of public service.