MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The idea of a socialist being elected to a significant office in Wisconsin is not entirely unheard of. Milwaukee elected three different socialist mayors between 1910 and 1960, and it remains the only major U.S. city to have done so.

But could someone with the socialist label win a race for Wisconsin governor? Particularly in this political climate? State Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison) believes she can, and she joined an increasingly crowded field of Democratic candidates when she launched her campaign Wednesday morning.

Before making the announcement, Hong met with a CBS 58 crew at a coffee shop just off the Capitol Square in Madison. Hong said she believed she could use her own work experiences to cut through any concerns voters might have about her socialist label.

Hong is one of four state legislators currently in the Socialist Caucus, all of whom are Democrats.

"Safety, care for working-class people here in Wisconsin, it is about having policies that deliver for their communities," she said. "Wisconsinites work so hard. They hustle, and I think they deserve a governor who hustles. I am a single mom working multiple jobs, and I'm a service industry worker through and through."

Hong, 36, is a Madison native. Her listed occupations are chef and bartender. A ramen restaurant she ran with her husband closed last year. 

Shortly before she was elected to the Assembly in 2020, Hong drew attention for her use of profanity toward the Tavern League of Wisconsin in a social media post.

In this sit-down interview, Hong hinted at a belief that too many people currently in government are too timid.

"We know that better is possible when we have bold policies that do not rely on incrementalism," she said. "But meet the moment of right now."

When asked what she considered to be her most significant accomplishment as a legislator, Hong noted she's been in the minority party for her entire time in the Legislature.

Hong then pointed to a bill requiring Asian American and Pacific Islander history to be taught in Wisconsin schools. The bill passed without objection in both chambers last year, and Gov. Tony Evers signed it into law.

Hong is Wisconsin's first and only Asian American state lawmaker.

"We had a massive coalition of folks all across the state come and champion the bill for Asian-American education to be taught in K-12 public schools," Hong said.

The measures Hong listed as ones she considered bold and worth prioritizing included universal child care and a substantial increase in state spending on public K-12 schools.

When asked how she'd prove to voters it's possible to significantly growing the size of state government without creating waste and inefficiency, Hong said the ultimate measuring stick would be the improvements in residents' quality of life.

"The receipts are going to be with the people, who are going to speak clearly to when their school is adequately funded," she said. "The number of educators and families who can point to more jobs created."

However, Hong said another issue would be her most immediate priority. She said she believed gun reform was the issue she'd want to take on before anything else.

"The first thing I would do is to ensure that we pass common sense gun safety laws," Hong said. "And so, background checks, ensuring we have extreme risk protection orders in place."

When asked about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk last week, Hong expressed sadness for those close to Kirk, then steered the discussion back toward a need for stricter gun laws.

"A wife lost her husband. Kids no longer have a dad," she said. "This does not have to be a condemnation of who died, but the broader impact of gun violence in this entire country."

As for how Hong believed she could build consensus on gun proposals and get some Republicans to support changes to existing laws, Hong again referenced her background in restaurants.

"What I've always known is that when you gather people around a table, people share their stories," she said. "Everyone has a story to share about someone who's been impacted by gun violence."

Hong joins Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and state Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison) as the high-profile Democrats running to replace Evers, who announced in July he won't seek a third term.

On the Republican side, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann and New Berlin business owner Bill Berrien are currently campaigning. Congressman Tom Tiffany has also hinted at a run and previously said he'll announce his plans by the end of September.