Francesca Hong Sued Over Credit Card Debts
Campaign of Democratic candidate for governor say debt arose from business expenses.
Rep. Francesca Hong speaks at a governor candidate forum Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, at the Cooperage in Milwaukee, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Rep. Francesca Hong, a leading Democratic candidate for governor, was recently sued over credit card debt.
According to public court documents, the financial institution Capital One sued Hong over nearly $30,000 in unpaid debts. The lawsuit was filed in Dane County on May 26 and was first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
In a statement, Hong said that she was “not ashamed to have accrued debt in pursuit of my dream.”
The campaign said that Hong, a former restaurant owner, accrued debt from “business expenses that rose astronomically during the pandemic,” and said that her struggles with debt informed her politics and understanding of working people’s struggles.
Hong worked as a chef and bartender in Madison and co-owned Morris Ramen for seven years until it closed in early 2024.
“I am disappointed debt is portrayed as a moral failing, especially when people can’t afford the basics of daily life,” said Hong, describing the story as a “distraction.”
“What we should all be ashamed of is continuing to let working people struggle to feed their families or simply put gas in their cars while billionaires and corporations are making record profits off of our hard work,” she said.
Hong has served in the state Legislature since 2020. She is part of the Democratic Socialist caucus, and previously told WPR she is running on working-class issues.
Early polling shows that those politics resonate with a portion of Wisconsin’s Democratic voters. In a crowded field of at least seven, polling has consistently shown Hong to be first- or second-most popular.
Those politics have also put her in the crosshairs of conservative critics, who have tied her to other left-wing figures including New York mayor Zohran Mamdani, and U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota, who has endorsed Hong.
An attorney representing Capital One did not respond to WPR’s calls.
Francesca Hong sued over credit card debts was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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Hahaha. As compared to what? A bankrupt President and GOP? The double standards have reached absurdity. In politics these days I try to remember: “Every accusation is a confession”.
I guarantee that in the time you read this comment the Trump family will have stolen more than $30,000 from us. We need a governor who knows what debt is and stands up to it and not runs through bankruptcy.