Wisconsin Democratic socialist state Rep. Francesca Hong, the frontrunner in the Democratic primary for governor, declined to answer whether she still supports abolishing police during a Tuesday event at Marquette University in Milwaukee. The question followed a televised debate where Hong pledged to preserve law enforcement funding amid scrutiny of her previous position.
Hong stated, 'This system is not working. If we want to be serious, we better be putting these billions into things we know prevent crime.' When asked directly about abolishing police, she did not answer yes or no, instead calling for 'systems of care' and redirecting criminal justice spending before being ushered away by a campaign aide.
'I believe that we have to be serious about public safety, and I'm going to be a governor that is more serious than anyone else in making sure that we are building systems of care,' Hong said.
Hong's campaign communications director, Allison Geyer, told Fox News Digital that the candidate's underlying values on police and prison abolition remain unchanged, though she now discusses the issue differently. 'Rep. Hong has spoken in the past about police and prison abolition as an aspirational goal, akin to eradicating disease or eliminating poverty,' Geyer said. 'Her values haven’t changed, but the way she talks about this issue has.'
During the debate, Hong and her four Democratic opponents all stated they would not sign a state budget cutting police funding. 'The governor cannot defund police, and I am not here to govern by slogan,' Hong said. 'I am here to make sure I am the governor that’s most serious about public safety.'