Francesca Hong

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Francesca Hong
Hong in 2022
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the 76th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 4, 2021
Preceded byChris Taylor
Personal details
Born (1988-11-04) November 4, 1988 (age 36)
Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Other political
affiliations		Democratic Socialists of America[a]
Spouse
Matt Morris
​
(divorced)​
Children1
EducationUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison
Website

Francesca Hong (born November 4, 1988)[1] is an American chef, community organizer, and Democratic politician from Madison, Wisconsin. She is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Wisconsin's 76th Assembly district since 2021. Elected in November 2020, she is the first Asian American member of the Wisconsin Legislature.[2]

Early life and career

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Hong was born on November 4, 1988 in Madison, Wisconsin to Korean American immigrant parents.[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 ex-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

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Election

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In 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]

Hong 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]

In May 2024, Hong was endorsed by the Madison Area chapter of Democratic Socialists of America.[13] Following the 2024 elections, Hong joined the State Assembly's Socialist Caucus.

Personal life

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Hong lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her son.[5] Hong has been a member of Democratic Socialists of America since 2020.[14]

Electoral history

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Wisconsin Assembly (2020–present)

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Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
2020 Primary[15] Aug. 11 Francesca Hong Democratic 4,793 28.15% Tyrone Cratic Williams Dem. 3,810 22.37% 17,029 983
Marsha A. Rummel Dem. 2,803 16.46%
Heather Driscoll Dem. 2,780 16.33%
Nicki Vander Meulen Dem. 1,586 9.31%
Ali Maresh Dem. 1,099 6.45%
Dewey Bredeson Dem. 143 0.84%
General[16] Nov. 3 Francesca Hong Democratic 35,731 88.02% Patrick Hull Rep. 4,779 11.77% 30,952 30,952
2022 General[17] Nov. 8 Francesca Hong Democratic 27,702 98.39% --Unopposed-- 28,154 27,250
2024 General[18] Nov. 5 Francesca Hong Democratic 34,311 98.85% 34,709 33,913

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ Meyerhofer, Kelly (November 5, 2020). "Madison voters elect 1st Asian-American and 1st Muslim to state Legislature". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  3. ^ "Korean American Elected Officials & Candidates: State & City". Korean American Grassroots Conference. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  4. ^ "Meet Francesca". Wisconsin Legislature. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "About Francesca". Hong 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  6. ^ Reilly, Briana (January 6, 2021). "Into the fire: Chef, restaurant owner, activist Francesca Hong brings a service mindset to the Capitol". The Capital Times. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  7. ^ Reilly, Briana (June 11, 2020). "Evers appoints Chris Taylor to replace Karofsky in Dane County Circuit Court". The Capital Times. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  8. ^ Ferral, Katelyn (August 11, 2020). "Chef Francesca Hong tops seven-candidate field to claim 76th Assembly win". The Capital Times. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ Hoffman, Jada (2021-08-02). "Wisconsin State Rep. makes a splash to advocate for clean water". WKOW. Retrieved 2021-08-02.
  12. ^ "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.
  13. ^ @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.
  14. ^ "Endorsement Interview with Francesca Hong". Action Network. May 12, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  15. ^ Canvass Results for 2020 Partisan Primary - 8/11/2020 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 26, 2020. p. 45. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  16. ^ Canvass Results for 2020 General Election - 11/3/2020 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 18, 2020. p. 26. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  17. ^ Canvass Results for 2022 General Election - 11/8/2022 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 30, 2022. p. 26. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  18. ^ County by County Report - 2024 General Election (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 27, 2024. p. 24. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
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