AOC declines to endorse Hong, says she’s focused on ‘winning back’ Congress

House AOC declines to endorse Hong, says she’s focused on ‘winning back’ Congress Comments: by Ashleigh Fields - 08/09/26 11:14 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Ashleigh Fields - 08/09/26 11:14 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Sunday declined to endorse Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist vying for the party nomination in the Wisconsin governor’s race.

“I haven’t endorsed in that race. My focus has been in winning back the Congress, winning back the House, and positioning ourselves to have the best chance possible to win the Senate,” Ocasio-Cortez said during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week.”

Her decision falls in line with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and the national branch of the Democratic Socialists of America, which have both declined to endorse Hong.

In previous years, Hong shared statements in support of abolishing prisons, defunding the police and canceling Thanksgiving, all of which are views she says have now shifted.

“I think that a lot of these races, even right now, they’ll have a tendency to be nationalized. But these races ultimately are local, and all politics are local. My understanding is that Francesca Hong has made clear her presence in her election,” Ocasio-Cortez said in response to questions about Hong’s views.

“She’s moved away from it,” she added.

Host Jonathan Karl asked the New York representative about where she now stands in regards to defunding the police, which is a crime solution she previously amplified.

“I think that during this time and during especially during COVID, there was a huge opening of the overtone window. We were shut down. There was some of the highest unemployment rates that we have seen because of those shutdowns, and I think that the the doors were really open in trying to entertain any and every policy that was going to get us to a better place, and I actually think that the discussions that had that were had in that time were quite fruitful,” Ocasio-Crotez said.

“I think that when we talk about crime today, it’s fundamentally different than the way that we talked about crime in bringing crime down, right? And I think that we all share the goals of having as low a crime rate as possible,” she continued.

Ocasio-Cortez added that rhetoric used during lockdown, “is not rhetoric that we would use today.”

“And I’m grateful that these candidates have the opportunity to present who they are to their electorate and what they’re campaigning on in this moment,” she added.

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