These are a pair of J's that I got from my friend's son who outgrew them, so they are very nice hand-me-down.
That is nice of you.
And I fit into a boys' shoes.
That works.
I'll take it.
That's one of my daughters growing through all of my mother's old snow boots.
She's about to leave the last pair, and she's kind of sad.
She's like, well, I've grown Grandma Carla.
Give me a lot bigger.
We're good here.
Well, Francesca Hong, thanks for joining us.
Happy to be here.
For voters who don't know you, give us an introduction of who you are and why you're running for Governor.
I'm a state representative for the 76th District here in Madison.
I am a proud single mom to my son, George.
And I'm a service industry worker, and so I owned a restaurant for seven years and worked as a chef.
And I still work as a bartender and line cook.
And I'm running for Governor because we are in a moment of crisis and chaos, but we're also in a movement moment.
And as an organizer and as a working-class candidate, I think that it's the right thing to do to fight
alongside working-class people who are demanding change.
Is there a single issue that drives you, or perhaps a lane within the Democratic Party that may define you?
Fully funding public education, universal childcare, and expanding badger care for all.
These are universal policies addressing universal issues for Wisconsinites all across the state.
And I think this moment demands visionary bold action and not incrementalism.
Running for Governor is very expensive.
How much do you think you need to run to be competitive and what's going to happen after the primary if you make it through that?
We are proud to be a people-powered grassroots campaign, and we have thousands of donors who have given from all across the state.
And in fact, 48 out of 50 states here in the country.
And so raising has been less of a challenge that because we have so many volunteers and folks across the state who are committed to being a part of our movement.
When it comes to a competitive primary for you, what do you draw the line between negative campaigning against a member of your own party
versus defining differences between candidates?
No, crowded primaries are good for democracy.
But I think in this moment, people are stressed and demanding bold change.
And so we're really focused on making sure that the issues that we see folks struggling with, with affordability and living in times of fascism,
we want to make sure that we are naming the billionaires and the culprits of these issues.
And then how the state is responsible for presenting and delivering solutions to help people live a life of dignity.
When primary voters are looking at all the candidates, should they be focusing more on who's more aligned with an issue that they support or electability?
Electability is subjective.
And I think that we need leadership and the people are demanding leadership where politicians aren't going to say one thing and do another.
We want leadership with folks who are committed to moral courage and willing to do the hard thing and not the politically expedient or politically comfortable thing.
Most of the Democrats running in this campaign are either aligned with Milwaukee or Madison.
What's your plan to get out and introduce yourself to the rest of the state, especially those rural areas who feel unheard?
I've had the privilege of traveling across the state for the last five years since I was elected into the legislature.
Whether it's helping other candidates campaign for the state assembly or being invited to speak at and meeting farmers and educators and people across the state.
I'm going back to those communities and also meeting new ones.
And I think that when we go to rural areas, suburban areas, urban areas, I've been so heartened by the diversity of people who are attending our events.
Republicans, independents, Democrats, it's been, and it's multi-generational.
I have learned so much from young people who are attending our events.
And we're going to continue to meet those communities where they are, regardless of what part of the state they're in.
What do you think the impact of Donald Trump will be on this primary?
The fascist authoritarian regime in the federal government is really creating a lot of chaos and uncertainty for working-class people.
And so beyond what is happening at the federal government, I think it's important to stay focused on how we can deliver for working-class people,
meeting the urgency of this moment with universal policies that are actually going to change the material conditions of people's lives at a pace and deliver, you know, as urgently and as quickly as we can.
There's a lot of diversity in the Democratic candidates, but what does it feel like there's still some members of the party trying to find a white man to run for governor?
I am really proud of being an daughter of immigrants and having grown up in a working-class family and still working in the service industry.
And I think that relatability, you know, it's less about labels right now and who is the person that folks want to vote for, someone who they're excited to vote for.
And I think the number of people who are volunteers who have never been involved with a campaign before and now want to be a part of one,
I think that speaks to how my multiple identities can really be a strength for our campaign.
And whoever wants to join us in our Democratic primary, I look forward to debating the issues with them.
If elected governor, there's a decent chance you could have a Democratic legislature behind you.
What's your AB1? What's the first bill you want to sign into law?
Red flag logs and background checks and safe storage. I think gun safety is a universal issue and we have to ensure that we're protecting our kids.
And then public education and universal childcare. I think when we put our kids first, working-class families all win.
There's also a chance you could have Republicans in control of one or both houses. What's your record of working across the aisle?
I'm incredibly proud to have passed the Asian American Education legislation that was Republican led where we had stakeholders from all across the state.
A coalition that was multi-generational and multi-ethnic where Republicans and I came together to make sure we delivered for working-class families and what they were demanding.
The Public Service Commission is reviewing large rate increases for all people across the state. Data centers are being proposed in all corners.
What is your stance on data centers and those issues and what do you want to do about it as governor?
There shouldn't be any corporations that are coming in and jacking up prices for ratepayers and I'm not interested in the state providing subsidies and handouts for large corporations that are coming in.
We're really going to impact our clean lakes, our air, and so the subsidies that folks might be proposing and support are really concerning to me.
And I think right now we are seeing democracy at its core strength with people who are speaking out and defending their communities and talking about why they do or do not support data centers.
And it's important for our campaign to meet those folks in their communities as their voicing concern and better understand what the issue is, what they're concerned about, and how we can support the work that they're doing to make sure their communities aren't harmed.
When it comes to supporting public education is it just a matter of more money or is there reform that needs to happen as well?
The reform is in our inequitable school funding formula that pits communities against one another that raises property taxes, but also makes it so that the disparities among students, especially those who are lower income, are not being addressed.
And so increasing special education for 90% reimbursement at some sufficient levels and making sure that we're increasing general age, our schools have been defunded for over a decade now.
And if we do not prioritize public education, which is one of our last remaining democratic institutions, we as a state will not succeed.
What's your position on vouchers and what would you like to see happen to that system?
I am very concerned about public dollars going to private schools and a system that is unaccountable and not transparent in how they may or may not be serving our kids.
And so it's critical that we look at a program that seems more and more to be like a scam.
What's your number one tax reform that you'd like to see happen?
I am very tired of our state providing subsidies for the wealthiest few and the largest corporations.
I think tax fairness is one that is going to help us generate revenue to fund investments where we need, but also looking at closing these loopholes and ensuring that the working class people pay the same, that the wealthiest aren't paying a lower percentage of taxes
than what working class people are paying now.
Over the last year, the Supreme Court has overhauled and reduced legislative oversight of agency rulemaking and oversight over the fiscal process.
Would you like to see a compromise to restore some legislative oversight or are you happy with where it stands now?
I think we can always improve on the checks and balances of the different branches of government.
I think that there has been an undermining of executive power due to the fact that the Republican legislature wants to hoard that power away from a potential democratic government governor.
And so it's imperative that we have checks and balances on who retains power and who is a voice for the people and where we can ensure that the rulemaking and the legislative process is one that is fair.
We've seen a large increase the number of referenda for local governments.
What needs to happen there in terms of the state's relationship to local communities?
The state has been starving our local municipalities and for over a decade now.
And so it's imperative that we have a more equitable shared revenue formula to make sure that our local municipalities have the resources they need.
They say when government is the government that's closest to your door is the government that's going to pass policies that impact you quickest.
So it's for our communities. It's necessary for our communities to have municipalities that have the resources to provide the services that people need.
Right now there are a number of exploratory drilling projects throughout northern Wisconsin looking at potential mines.
What is your position on the current mining regulations and you think they need to be adjusted?
I am staunchly opposed to the type of mining as well as drilling when it comes to line five.
I have been vocal about my opposition there.
I think the dangers that this is presenting to communities who have already seen services be cut their schools closing.
I think that having this type of harmful groups coming in to impact local environments and the quality of life, it's really unfortunate.
And I think it's very important that we look at how to hold these corporations accountable.
Do you have concerns about your own personal safety while campaigning in this modern political environment?
It's disappointing that political violence has become such a frequent occurrence.
And I'm fortunate to have a campaign team and a community and volunteers across the state that I think are going to remain supportive.
And I do not have concerns for my personal safety.
When it comes to affordable housing, what needs to happen to increase at regulation? Is it subsidies? Is it density?
We have to have a multi-pronged approach.
And we have to make it easier to build housing and look at different avenues and innovative ways to ensure that we have permanent affordability when it comes to housing.
I'm interested in looking at community land trust about how we can provide better zoning regulations and the ability to build ADUs and ensure that we have spaces for some folks who may no longer need to be in their homes,
where there can be starter homes for folks who are moving into communities and looking at diversifying our housing stock,
for folks who are moving or maybe downsizing. And so there are a lot of different avenues that we have to explore.
But overall, we have to make it easier to build.
Governor Evers has proposed a pretty ambitious corrections overhaul. Would you continue that plan as Governor?
I think it's important to look at reducing our prison population while also ensuring that those who are at the Department of Corrections have opportunities to be able to transition.
And be safe in their work environments. And so I will certainly look at some of the plans that the Governor has now.
But overall, it's important that we look at transition programs and ways that we can keep those who are incarcerated and those who are working in our prison safe.
Would you like to see any changes to Wisconsin's abortions?
We have to repeal the 1849 abortion ban and I think abortion freedom is about health care and democracy as well.
And so I think it's important that we keep in mind that abortion is health care and that access to that health care has to be equitable.
Alright, Francesca Hong, thanks for your time.
Thank you so much.
Alright, well thank you for coming in.
Absolutely.
We've covered some territory there.