Sanders distances himself from Korean-American Wisconsin governor candidate Hong

Senator Bernie Sanders has indicated he does not intend to endorse Francesca Hong, a Korean-American candidate running for Wisconsin governor. In an interview on the podcast "Pod Save America," Sanders responded to a question about supporting Hong by saying, "I don't think so." He acknowledged meeting Hong a few years ago and finding her to be "a very good person," but added, "I don't know much about this election."

Sanders further explained that his campaign's focus is on helping Democrats regain control of the Senate and House in the upcoming midterm elections. "We haven't been involved in a lot of governor races," he stated, emphasizing his priority is supporting the party's efforts to challenge President Trump.

This cautious approach towards Hong has sparked various interpretations, particularly since Sanders did endorse Troy Jackson in the Maine gubernatorial primary earlier this year. Hong, who identifies as a democratic socialist, is currently leading in the Democratic primary polls for the Wisconsin gubernatorial race. She is competing against David Crowley, Joel Brennan, and Kelda Roys.

Concerns are emerging within the Democratic party about Hong's potential to defeat Republican candidate Tom Tiffany in the general election, a key swing state. Tony Evers, the current Democratic governor, has endorsed Crowley and suggested that Hong might lose to Tiffany in November. Republicans are using Sanders' comments to portray Hong as too radical for the progressive wing of the party. Tiffany's campaign has criticized Hong's past statements, including her suggestion to abolish Thanksgiving, which she later described as a "very painful day" for many, though she also called it her favorite holiday in a separate interview. Her past calls to cut police budgets and abolish police departments are also being scrutinized.