Francesca Hong, a Democratic candidate for Wisconsin governor, has reversed her previous stance on Thanksgiving, now stating it is her favorite holiday. This shift follows earlier comments from November 2021, where she suggested the holiday should be canceled.
In a recent interview on Politico's Playbook podcast, Hong stated, "My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Yup. I don't want to cancel it, I actually love it." She acknowledged that Thanksgiving is a significant family event for her, though she also described herself as "a curmudgeon when it comes to holidays in general."
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, Hong posted on X, formerly Twitter, advocating to "cancel Thanksgiving," arguing that the holiday was "celebrating colonialism" and the "original superspreader event that killed indigenous folx [sic] and women." This post has since been deleted.
The New York Post reported that Hong has expressed negative sentiments about at least seven other U.S. holidays on social media, including Valentine's Day, the Fourth of July, Christmas, Halloween, and Mother's and Father's days.
When questioned by CNN's Kaitlan Collins about her past statements regarding Thanksgiving, Hong provided a lengthy response. "I'm a chef, and one of the first meals that I made that was for the community when I was 16 was a Thanksgiving meal," Hong said. "I always think my hospitality background and owning a restaurant for 7-8 years, that bringing folks around the table to share conversation and build community is always a good thing. But Thanksgiving is also a time that's incredibly painful for many people in our communities. So I think there I wanted to make sure people understood there are multiple views, but views can evolve."
Hong, who also serves as a Wisconsin state representative, suggested her background as a chef could help her as governor. "And the position I'm running for right now — and I think my background as a chef will actually help me become a better governor that's able to bring more people to the table," she told Collins.