Francesca Hong Voted Against Wisconsin Child-Grooming Felony Law

Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Francesca Hong was one of just six state lawmakers to vote against legislation making child grooming a felony — a measure ultimately signed into law by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

The lopsided vote is putting a fresh spotlight on the democratic socialist’s legislative record as she seeks Wisconsin’s top job.

The Wisconsin Assembly approved the measure 93-6 in January, with Hong joining the tiny minority voting against it. The state Senate later approved the legislation, and Evers signed it into law in March as 2025 Wisconsin Act 88.

The law creates a specific felony offense for grooming a child for sexual activity, targeting a course of conduct intended to condition, seduce, solicit, lure or entice a minor toward sexual activity or pornography.

It also closed a gap that became painfully clear after the case of former Kenosha teacher Christian Enwright.

Enwright was accused of pursuing an inappropriate online relationship with a middle-school student, sending hundreds of Snapchat messages, including suggestive comments about her appearance and shirtless photos of himself.

An investigation began after authorities received an anonymous complaint in February 2024.

Enwright was eventually fired and prosecuted, but the case highlighted the limits of Wisconsin law at the time because prosecutors did not have a stand-alone child-grooming felony to charge.

He ultimately pleaded guilty to 15 misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and was sentenced in July 2025 to 450 days in jail — roughly 15 months — followed by three years of probation.

The case helped fuel the push for a new law aimed specifically at grooming conduct that precedes sexual abuse.

Support for the legislation was overwhelming.

The Assembly vote was 93-6, and the measure later cleared the Senate before landing on the desk of Evers, a Democrat, who praised lawmakers for taking the issue seriously.

“Defining grooming is a critical step to give law enforcement and local school districts the tools they need to hold bad actors accountable for hurting our kids,” Evers said when he signed the law.

Hong, however, was firmly in the six-member opposition.

That vote now threatens to become another political headache for the Madison lawmaker as she campaigns for governor on an unapologetically democratic socialist platform.

More over at The New York Post:

Wisconsin socialist Francesca Hong voted against anti-child grooming law responding to pervy teacher pursuing 14-year-old https://t.co/3zMWNN5Zmw pic.twitter.com/8ckkjgFJrj

— New York Post (@nypost) August 11, 2026