Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong's gubernatorial campaign has reportedly appointed former child actress and OnlyFans model Renee Olstead to a senior role, serving as deputy campaign manager.
Olstead, who also uses the name Renee Faust, has been a paid operative for the campaign since at least January, according to The Heartland Post. Her social media presence indicates support for Hong's campaign, including links to get-out-the-vote efforts and photos from campaign events. She has also reportedly coordinated logistics for surrogates like political commentator Hasan Piker.
Hong's campaign confirmed Olstead's involvement, stating in a response to Fox News Digital that "Renee Faust is a licensed mental health clinician who has spent her career providing care to trafficking survivors." The campaign added that since joining in December, she has "helped build the largest grassroots campaign in Wisconsin history" and accused "right-wing politicians" of attacking her.
The campaign did not directly answer questions about Olstead's specific title and responsibilities, when she began working for the campaign, whether she is a paid employee, or her qualifications for the role.
Olstead is also known for founding the Coalition for American Sex Workers (CASW), an organization advocating for policy changes affecting sex workers. Last year, Hong and other state representatives presented Olstead with an official Wisconsin State Assembly citation recognizing her advocacy for sex workers' rights and her selection as "Penthouse Pet of the Year" in 2024.
Hong herself has previously supported progressive stances, including abolishing the U.S. Senate and defunding the police, though she has recently distanced herself from some of these positions. She is competing in the Democratic gubernatorial primary against Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, former Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan, and Democratic state Sen. Kelda Roys.
Additionally, Hong has faced renewed scrutiny over a past social media post from 2020, in which she called to "cancel Thanksgiving" to "stop celebrating colonialism and the original superspreader event that killed Indegenous [sic] folx and women." She has since stated that Thanksgiving is her "favorite holiday" and she does not wish to cancel it.