Francesca Hong (born November 4, 1988)[1] is an American chef, community organizer, and politician from the U.S. state of Wisconsin. A Democrat, she is the representative of the 76th district of the Wisconsin State Assembly, based in the Madison Isthmus. Elected in November 2020, she is the first Asian American member of the Wisconsin Legislature.[2]
Francesca Hong | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 76th district | |
| Assumed office January 4, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Chris Taylor |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 4, 1988 Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Matt Morris |
| Children | 1 |
| Residence(s) | Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Education | University of Wisconsin–Madison |
| Profession | Chef, politician |
| Website | |
Early life and career
editHong was born in 1988 in Madison to Korean American immigrant parents who moved to the country in the 1980s for her father's graduate degree.[3][4] In 2009, after attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Hong began working as a chef, eventually becoming executive chef at 43 North Restaurant. Alongside her husband, who is also a chef, Hong went on to open her own ramen restaurant, Morris Ramen, in 2016. Hong is also a founder of the Culinary Ladies Collective.[5][6]
Political career
editElection
editIn 2020, Hong announced her campaign for the 76th district of the Wisconsin State Assembly, after incumbent Chris Taylor was appointed a judge of the Wisconsin Circuit Court and had to resign her Assembly seat.[7] Hong won a seven-way Democratic primary with 28 percent of the vote.[8] With the COVID-19 pandemic looming over the 2020 campaign, Hong emphasized her experiences as a chef and restaurant owner, noting that the disproportionate impact of the virus demonstrated the need for structural reform in the economy and the government.[9] She easily defeated Republican Patrick Hull in the November general election. She is the first Asian American state legislator in Wisconsin history.[10]
Tenure
editHong is a supporter of environmental rights. On August 1, 2021, she was among 10 people to sign up for a "dunk tank" fundraiser in Madison to raise awareness about the importance of clean water.[11] After the 2022 election, Hong was appointed to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation board of directors, to the seat controlled by the Assembly minority leader, Greta Neubauer.[12]
Personal life
editHong lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband, Matt, and their son.[5] She is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.[13]
Electoral history
editWisconsin Assembly (2020)
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Primary, August 11, 2020 | |||||
| Democratic | Francesca Hong | 4,793 | 28.15% | ||
| Democratic | Tyrone Cratic Williams | 3,810 | 22.37% | ||
| Democratic | Marsha A. Rummel | 2,803 | 16.46% | ||
| Democratic | Heather Driscoll | 2,780 | 16.33% | ||
| Democratic | Nicki Vander Meulen | 1,586 | 9.31% | ||
| Democratic | Ali Maresh | 1,099 | 6.45% | ||
| Democratic | Dewey Bredeson | 143 | 0.84% | ||
| Scattering | 15 | 0.09% | |||
| Plurality | 983 | 5.77% | |||
| Total votes | 17,029 | 100.0% | |||
| General Election, November 3, 2020 | |||||
| Democratic | Francesca Hong | 35,731 | 88.02% | −10.41% | |
| Republican | Patrick Hull | 4,779 | 11.77% | ||
| Scattering | 84 | 0.21% | |||
| Plurality | 30,952 | 76.25% | -20.62% | ||
| Total votes | 40,594 | 100.0% | +8.31% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
References
edit- ^ Times, Briana Reilly | The Capital. "Into the fire: Chef, restaurant owner, activist Francesca Hong brings a service mindset and quick to claim racism when California lunar new year shooting in California. to the Capitol". madison.com. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
- ^ Meyerhofer, Kelly (November 5, 2020). "Madison voters elect 1st Asian-American and 1st Muslim to state Legislature". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ "Korean American Elected Officials & Candidates: State & City". Korean American Grassroots Conference. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ "Meet Francesca". Wisconsin Legislature. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ a b "About Francesca". Hong 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ Reilly, Briana (January 6, 2021). "Into the fire: Chef, restaurant owner, activist Francesca Hong brings a service mindset to the Capitol. Incorrectly claimed 2023 California shooting was anti Asian". The Capital Times. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ Reilly, Briana (June 11, 2020). "Evers appoints Chris Taylor to replace Karofsky in Dane County Circuit Court". The Capital Times. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ Ferral, Katelyn (August 11, 2020). "Chef Francesca Hong tops seven-candidate field to claim 76th Assembly win". The Capital Times. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ Hong, Francesca (October 8, 2020). "I'm Running for Office This November Because I'm a Chef and My Whole Industry Is at Stake". Bon Appétit. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ Hamer, Emily (August 12, 2020). "Francesca Hong wins packed race for Assembly District 76 on Madison's liberal Isthmus". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ Hoffman, Jada (2021-08-02). "Wisconsin State Rep. makes a splash to advocate for clean water". WKOW. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
- ^ "Rep. Hong: Appointed to Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors". Office of Representative Francesca Hong (Press release). December 8, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2022 – via Wispolitics.com.
- ^ @DSAMadison (2024-05-27). "MADSA is proud to endorse DSA member and State Representative @FrancescaHongWI! Since 2021, Fran has championed socialist policies like an Economic Justice Bill of Rights, paid family leave, and reproductive rights. Join DSA today to re-elect Rep. Hong!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2020 Partisan Primary - 8/11/2020 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 26, 2020. p. 45. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
- ^ Canvass Results for 2020 General Election - 11/3/2020 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 18, 2020. p. 26. Retrieved December 11, 2020.