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Former child actress and OnlyFans model Renee Olstead is reportedly serving in a senior role on Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong’s gubernatorial campaign ahead of next week’s Democratic primary.
Olstead, who also goes by Renee Faust, is serving as Hong’s deputy campaign manager, according to The Heartland Post. Hong, a Democratic socialist, is among the candidates competing in next week’s Democratic gubernatorial primary.
The outlet reported that Olstead has worked as a paid campaign operative since at least January. Her X bio reads “HONG 4 GOV” and links to Hong’s get-out-the-vote page.
Her social media account also features photos from campaign events, and The Heartland Post reported that she has coordinated logistics for high-profile surrogates, including streamer and political commentator Hasan Piker.
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Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong, left, and former child actress Renee Olstead, right. Olstead is serving in a senior role on Hong’s gubernatorial campaign. (Paul Archuleta/Getty Images; USA TODAY Network via Reuters)
Digital asked Hong’s campaign to confirm Olstead’s title and responsibilities, when she began working for the campaign, whether she is a paid employee and her qualifications for the role. The campaign responded with a statement but did not directly address each question.
“Renee Faust is a licensed mental health clinician who has spent her career providing care to trafficking survivors,” the campaign said. “Since joining the campaign in December, she has helped build the largest grassroots campaign in Wisconsin history. The right-wing politicians attacking her are the same ones who want government dictating women’s health care decisions.”
Olstead previously founded the Coalition for American Sex Workers (CASW – LOCAL 304), which advocates for decriminalization and other policy changes affecting sex workers.
Last year, Hong and three other state representatives presented Olstead with an official Wisconsin State Assembly citation recognizing her advocacy for sex workers’ rights and her selection as “Penthouse Pet of the Year” in 2024.
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Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) (L) and influencer and left-wing political commentator Hasan Piker (C) stand with Wisconsin Gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong during a campaign rally for Hong on August 2, 2026 (Joshua Lott/Getty Images)
The campaign did not directly respond to a separate question from Digital asking Hong to explain her decision to participate in presenting Olstead with the citation and what she intended to recognize.
Hong has also pursued legislation that would decriminalize prostitution involving adults and establish a sex workers’ bill of rights.
Wisconsin Family Action, a conservative advocacy organization based in Madison, criticized Olstead’s involvement in Hong’s campaign.
“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,” Daniel Degner, president of Wisconsin Family Action, said in a statement. “Voters deserve to know whether if Hong is elected, she will elevate a porn star to leadership in her administration.”
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Former child actress Renee Olstead, who also goes by Renee Faust, is reportedly serving as deputy campaign manager for Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong’s gubernatorial campaign. (JB Lacroix/WireImage)
Hong has previously expressed support on social media for progressive proposals including abolishing the U.S. Senate and defunding the police, though she has recently distanced herself from some of those positions in interviews ahead of Tuesday’s gubernatorial primary.
Hong faces Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, former Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan and Democratic state Sen. Kelda Roys in the primary.
Hong also faced renewed scrutiny over a since-deleted 2020 X post calling to “cancel Thanksgiving” in order to “stop celebrating colonialism and the original superspreader event that killed Indegenous [sic] folx and women.”
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She recently distanced herself from the post, telling Politico that Thanksgiving is her “favorite holiday” and that she does not want to cancel it.
“My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving,” Hong told Politico Playbook. “Yep, I don’t want to cancel it. I actually love it.”
Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
