Dem Wisconsin governor candidate Francesca Hong sued over $30K credit card debt

• Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong was sued by Capital One for nearly $30,000 in credit card debt.
• The lawsuit alleges Hong stopped making minimum payments on charges made since 2011.
• Hong's campaign manager stated the debt, attributed to business expenses, has since been paid in full.
• Hong is a state representative and former restaurant owner who leads in recent polls for the Democratic primary.

Democratic candidate for Wisconsin governor Francesca Hong was sued for nearly $30,000 in debt she owed to Capital One, recently filed court records show.

Hong leads the Democratic primary field in recent statewide polls among decided voters ahead of the Aug. 11 primary election. As governor, Hong would oversee the state's financials, including through building a state budget that is crafted, in part, on borrowing.

Capital One filed a lawsuit on May 26 in Dane County Circuit Court against Hong seeking to be repaid the $29,344 she charged on a Discover credit card since 2011 and for which Hong had stopped making minimum payments, according to court filings.

But a campaign spokeswoman said on June 2 that the debt has now been paid.

Hong, 37, has represented Wisconsin's 76th Assembly District in the heart of Madison since 2021. The democratic socialist earned acclaim in her early 20s as a chef in the capital city, becoming co-owner and co-chef of Morris Ramen, which closed in 2024 after seven years in business.

She has continued to work as a chef and a bartender in addition to serving full-time in the Assembly.

"We will have a letter shortly confirming this debt is paid in full," campaign manager Becky Cooper said in a statement.

"Like 80% of Americans, Rep. Hong has debt, specifically from business expenses that rose astronomically during the pandemic. She leads from a place of knowing the endless struggles with bills and the stress that places on families every day. Her policies will help Wisconsin residents develop greater economic stability and success."

Asked whether any campaign funds were used to pay off the debt, Cooper said, "Absolutely not."

Hong is among a crowded field of Democrats in the open race for governor. An Aug. 11 primary will determine who advances to the Nov. 3 general election. U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany is the only major Republican running for governor.