Sanders doesn’t believe he will endorse Hong: ‘I don’t think so’

Campaign Sanders doesn’t believe he will endorse Hong: ‘I don’t think so’ Comments: by Max Rego - 08/06/26 9:57 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Max Rego - 08/06/26 9:57 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) signaled Wednesday he does not expect to endorse Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong, less than a week before the primary in the Badger State.

“I don’t think so,” Sanders told Jon Favreau on “Pod Save America,” when asked about his potential backing.

Sanders noted he met Hong “a couple of years ago” and called her “very, very nice.” But the Vermont progressive added he is “not that familiar” with the race to succeed term-limited Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D).

“We have not gotten involved in many governors races. … My major concern right now is seeing that we have a Senate and a House that is going to stand up to [President] Trump,” the senator said.

He has backed numerous left-wing candidates in House and Senate primaries across the country — although he noted his prior support of Troy Jackson, the new Democratic nominee for Senate in Maine, in the state’s gubernatorial primary earlier this year.

“That’s really where my focus is,” Sanders said, referring to his support. “So as of now, we have really not been involved in that race.”

Polling shows Hong, a democratic socialist, is the front-runner on the Democratic side, with the primary set for Tuesday. The likely GOP nominee, Rep. Tom Tiffany, has highlighted the state lawmaker’s prior criticism of holidays such as Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day.

“Cancel Thanksgiving. Should have done this in 1621,” Hong wrote in 2020 in a since-deleted social media post.

She told CNN on Monday that the holiday is “incredibly painful for many people,” before backtracking and calling Thanksgiving her “favorite” holiday during a Wednesday interview with Politico.

Hong, a former professional chef, has also previously argued for defunding and abolishing the police, although she said at a debate last month that she needs to be “sensible and practical on what we can achieve.”

In July, Evers endorsed Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley (D) — who reentered the race after Lt. Gov Sara Rodriguez dropped out. Evers also told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel this week Hong would likely lose to Tiffany in November.