Wisconsin state representative Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist running for governor, has softened her previous support for defunding and abolishing the police as she seeks support beyond the Democratic left. The shift matters because Wisconsin is a closely contested state, where her past remarks could affect her prospects against the Trump-backed Republican candidate, Tom Tiffany.

Hong wrote in 2020 that defunding police should lead to abolition, and repeated the position in 2021. At a televised debate before the 11 August Democratic primary, she said she did not support cutting police funding, arguing that a governor cannot do so and that public safety should focus on preventing crime. Hong is a single mother and former line cook whose left-wing campaign has attracted liberal Democrats but prompted concern among moderates.