State Rep. Francesca Hong Visits Chippewa Falls Before Primary

State Representative Francesca Hong visited Chippewa Falls this week as she seeks the Democratic nomination for Governor in Tuesday’s primary election.

Hong spoke at the Chippewa County Democratic Party headquarters in downtown Chippewa Falls on Thursday morning, making her final pitch to local voters on why they should choose her at the ballot box next week. During the event she emphasized the importance of not only expanding Medicaid, known as BadgerCare in Wisconsin, but also the importance of establishing additional regulations in the healthcare industry to protect rural healthcare access and improve affordability.

“However, if we do not go after insurance claim denials and insurance companies, if we don’t make the largest for-profit hospitals actually pay their fair share, if we don’t stop them from charging more and raising hospital prices higher than most states across this country, and if we don’t go after the consolidation and corruption of mega-corporate hospitals so that they can close and leave, it’s not enough if we have affordable healthcare,” she said. “We need that care to be accessible, to be fair, and to make sure that we’re more in control of the healthcare that we deserve.”

Hong also highlighted establishing proper regulatory measures for data center developments as a major policy goal if elected, balancing protections for local residents and the environment with the potential benefits of the facilities.

“The big thing is we want local communities to maintain local control,” she said. “But that there are the state guidelines to ensure that there’s enforceable mechanisms to protect our natural resources, ratepayers from utility costs going up, and making sure that both short-term and long-term benefit can be clearly defined for the community.”

Hong will face off with Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, former Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan, and State Senator Kelda Roys in the partisan primary election on Tuesday. The winner will face off with Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany in the November midterm election.