Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) defended his endorsement of Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong after her loss in the August 12, 2026 primary. Khanna criticized those who "caricature and label" Hong based on a few statements, calling such politics unproductive.

In a post on the social platform X, Khanna said, "I appreciate that Democrats can have differences over single payer healthcare, free childcare, pausing data centers and other issues @FrancescaHongWI fought for. But caricaturing and labeling candidates based on a few statements is not a politics I believe in."

Khanna highlighted Hong's background as a daughter of Korean immigrants, a single mother, and a small business owner who struggled, noting her fight for representation as an Asian American in the party.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley won the Democratic gubernatorial primary against Hong, a democratic socialist, marking a significant victory for center-left and mainstream Democrats after several wins by progressive and democratic socialist candidates in recent months.

Hong faced criticism from Republicans and some Democrats for past comments supporting defunding the police and a 2021 call to "cancel Thanksgiving." However, in July 2026, she stated she would not be able to defund the police as governor.

Khanna also rejected the idea that the Democratic Party should engage in name-calling tactics similar to those used by former President Trump, saying, "I categorically reject the idea that the Democratic party must play the same name calling games as [President] Trump, reducing people’s identity to labels for political games."

Sources