In politics, the state of Wisconsin is generally known for its swing state voters, razor-thin margins, and in the past decade, its back-and-forth support for U.S. President Donald Trump.
But democratic socialist and Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong has a different perspective.
“This is also a state where progressivism was born and nurtured, where kindergarten was formed,” Hong says to Mehdi. “Our socialist progressive roots run deep and the people all across our state are ready to dig up those roots and build something new and better.”
Watch Mehdi and Hong discuss her campaign, as she attempts to beat out establishment Democrats in the state’s primary and become the U.S.’s first democratic socialist governor.
Key moments from the interview include:
What democratic socialism means to Hong (“Human rights, democracy, and fairness.”)
The criticism from establishment Democrats that she is “unelectable”
Why she has not walked back her previous “defund the police” comments (“It is the responsible thing to demand reform.”)
Why she reported a Gaza ceasefire display in 2023 as a “highly antisemitic act” and why regrets doing so today and is calling out Israel’s genocide of Palestinians
The Republican party’s likely gubernatorial nominee Tom Tiffany (“A traitor.”)
Whether she will repeal Wisconsin’s codification of the controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism
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