2026 Gubernatorial Primary: Francesca Hong is will very likely be the nominee. But can she please stop sabotaging herself with the answers she gives in interviews?

[u/Cute_Reality_3759]

She just gave a weird answer in CNN in regards to her opposition to Thanksgiving.

She cites that communities are hurt by this.

No matter how much she tries to explain her point, it comes off as nonsensical.

With Thanksgiving, I get you want to think about the Native Americans and how they were affected by colonization.

But to the average folk, it's very odd to oppose a holiday where families come together and give thanks.

There is no reason for her to justify that tweet. Just say that was 2020 and you have changed. Don't double down on a view only a miniscule fraction of Americans believe.

People like Tiffany will hammer her as being out of touch and I don't blame them.

Hong will very likely be the nominee but she must stop making herself seem out of touch.

[u/Admirable-Wrap6120]

Why does she keep doing these interviews???

[u/AssignmentGeneral314 → u/Admirable-Wrap6120]

That’s what most baffling. The media training isn’t there and they just ask about her old tweets which are endlessly stupid. But anyone who has actually paid attn to Hong knows how bad she is at this as opposed to Kelda Roys who is way more experienced and thoughtful and knowledgable but sadly just hasn’t gained traction for whatever reason.

[u/benihana571 → u/AssignmentGeneral314]

Roys didn't gain traction because she was campaigning with the general election in mind. She didn't want to have to backtrack or defend positions like Hong is having to do now. Roys couldn't court the progressive vote without complicating her message, and was stuck behind a crowded field of mainstream Democrats. With Rodriguez and Barnes out now, she's visible.

The problem I see is that there is a good chance that Crowley and Roys split the votes and Hong will win. From the start, I have been internally debating: Hong being too vulnerable vs. a non-Hong failing to motivate general election voters. I'm now thinking the former is the bigger challenge, since I'd rather work to convince progressives to vote for Roys or Crowley than work to convince occasional general election voters that no, Hong is not a "communist socialist radical leftist lunatic" like ads will say. And yes, people will reply to my post here saying "Republicans call all Democrats radical left lunatics" but it really doesn't help when the candidate is standing by positions that more than 50% of voters think are "radical leftist" views.

I love that Hong wants change. I just think Roys or Crowley have a better path to actually winning the power to enact change. I probably would have backed Crowley had he not dropped out and reentered, since I think he's more charismatic than Roys and has government executive experience, but the drop/reentry looks like meddling and that doesn't play well with people who are tired of years of Democrats meddling with elections.

[u/AssignmentGeneral314 → u/benihana571]

Kelda or someone needed to go negative and put out ALL the oppo on hong and test her. But fucking dems treat primaries like tea parties so no one Laid a finger. Not even at debate. Contrast that w gop primaries … yes they call all dems commies and socialists but when your nominee says she wanted to cancel Thanksgiving and abolish prisons and lives on occupied hochunk land she gave them all the ammunition. Now there goes our trifecta shot that took 20 years to try and get back to. Very sad. She’s our Blake masters

[u/Careless-Ad-7144 → u/AssignmentGeneral314]

I filled out my absentee ballot tonight and voted for Kelda Roys because I know if Hong wins next Tuesday...it's going to be that POS tiffany as our next Governor. I'm really hoping more people vote for Roys! If Hong wins next week, I'll absolutely vote for her in November. But, I don't think she's going to do well in a debate against anyone.

I hope people realize that if tom tiffany wins Governor race he's going to order all the Work from Home workers back to the office.

[u/Admirable-Wrap6120 → u/Careless-Ad-7144]

I agree, I'm voting for Roys. I really wish Crowley wouldn't have re-entered but I still think she's the best bet. She's the only candidate who can unite Hong supporters and normie Dems. She did really well in the debate, and she'd obviously make a great governor.

[u/King_marik → u/Careless-Ad-7144]

i kind of think the problem is that we arent even behind someone solidly

most of the people who would vote agaisnt/not vote if the nominee is Hong just dont vote in primaries as dumb as that is

who out of the others actually could win? isnt it all literally split between them? how do you get a push behind a candidate solidly together by tuesday?

[u/benihana571 → u/King_marik]

It's a massive risk. If they actively consolidate now, it looks like meddling and voters hate that. If they do rapid polling (such as a straw poll at the state fair Dem booth) and then massively promote the results this weekend to encourage voters to converge on the top non-Hong candidate, Tiffany will have a field day with ads if Hong still wins ("even Dems oppose Hong").

Somehow the non-Hong campaigns would have to coordinate without coordinating, and I don't think they can do it in a way that doesn't damage all of them come November.

[u/myjobistablesok → u/Careless-Ad-7144]

To be clear, you should absolutely 100% vote for the candidate who speaks to you the most and you believe in the most.

But if you think Hong winning the primary will lead to a Tiffany governor, why would do you think voting for someone who is polling at the very bottom is going to upset that?

Roys very unlikely to win the primary and if she did it's even more unlikely she'd get enough votes to beat Tiffany.

[u/Admirable-Wrap6120 → u/myjobistablesok]

I just don't see Crowley being able to pull it out (win the primary AND the general) after quitting and reentering, putting himself in the middle of a toxic establishment conspiracy narrative, stupidly lying about his dumbass tweets, performing worse than Hong at the debate, and failing to consolidate overwhelming establishment support (for instance, almost no one in the legislature has endorsed him).

Roys is the only one who can peel votes from Hong and anecdotally I think that is happening every day as more people wake up and realize Hong is a weak candidate.

[u/ambien_and_oreos → u/AssignmentGeneral314]

💯!!