On Tuesday, August 11, 2026, Wisconsin Democratic Party chair Devin Remiker repeatedly avoided direct answers regarding Thanksgiving after gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, reversed her earlier position about canceling the holiday.

During an interview with CNN host John Berman, Remiker was asked about his personal views on Thanksgiving. He replied, "I even host a Friendsgiving every year, so I basically do Thanksgiving twice."

When questioned about the difficulty of fielding questions related to Hong's Thanksgiving remarks—statements initially perceived as against the holiday but later reversed—Remiker shifted focus to criticize Republican candidate Tom Tiffany. He said, "I think Tom Tiffany is going to have a hard time at Thanksgiving this year after he's lost the governor‘s race, because those sweet potatoes he's looking at remind him of the spray tan of the president that cost him his election."

Hong, who is among seven Democrats competing in the state's gubernatorial primary, stated in an interview last week that Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday, reversing a position she held in 2020.

The Tiffany campaign has sounded alarms over Hong's past comments, accusing the Wisconsin Democratic Party of supporting a socialist agenda that includes abolishing police and prisons, canceling Thanksgiving, and raising state income taxes.

Remiker's comments came amid heightened scrutiny of Hong's candidacy and the broader political contest in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.

Sources