Crowley Reenters Governor’s Race With Evers’ Endorsement

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley relaunches his campaign for governor. Photo taken July 18 by Graham Kilmer.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley relaunched his gubernatorial campaign Saturday with an endorsement from Gov. Tony Evers.

Crowley reentered the race for governor after dropping out just 10 days earlier and endorsing Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez. After he withdrew, the Rodriguez campaign quickly flamed out amid a campaign finance scandal, and she ended her campaign on July 17.

“I have indicated I did not plan to endorse anyone in the race for governor because I know each of the candidates and I wanted them to have the opportunity to make their case to Wisconsinites first, just like I did. I also believe that, in a race this close, Wisconsinites deserve to have the perspective of someone who’s done the job, who understands what it takes, and who’s had the benefit of spending years quietly watching how others in politics conduct themselves and treat people when they thought no one was paying attention,” Evers said in a statement announcing the endorsement Saturday. “David is not only the best candidate to beat Tom Tiffany, he’s the right candidate for the people of Wisconsin.”

Evers’ endorsement is a signal to donors and Democratic voters that the state party is coalescing around Crowley. During a packed campaign event at 3rd Street Market Hall Saturday, Crowley explained his decision to reenter the race, pitching himself as an experienced leader and the most likely candidate to beat U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in the general election.

“This race is not just about who can win the primary, this is about winning in November,” he said.

Crowley pointed to recent multimillion-dollar spending by a Republican-backed group on political attack ads against state Rep. Francesca Hong that he views as an attempt to boost her in the primary.

“We cannot allow the GOP to choose the Democratic nominee for governor of the great state of Wisconsin. Period,” Crowley said. “So, Democrats, we have a decision to make based on who can actually win in every corner of this state, but also govern on day one.”

To win the general, the Democratic candidate needs to pick up votes outside of Democratic strongholds, Crowley said. “We don’t have to win every county, but we cannot allow Tom Tiffany to dominate outside of our population centers,” he said.

Crowley was surrounded by supporters Saturday, including local Democrats and elected officials. Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Council President José G. Pérez, Ald. Milele A. Coggs, Waukesha Mayor Alicia Halvensleben, Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride, Rep. Kalan Haywood II, Sheboygan Mayor Ryan Sorenson, State Sen. Melissa Ratcliff and Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin President Jerry Biggart all stumped for Crowley at the relaunch. So did his wife, Ericka Crowley, who said the phone has been ringing all week with calls from supporters asking Crowley to get back in the race.

When Crowley initially dropped out, he encouraged the party to coalesce around Rodriguez. It later came out that the Rodriguez campaign was already dealing with warning signs of a major problem with its campaign’s financial reporting when it pursued and accepted Crowley’s endorsement. Crowley’s campaign confirmed plans to reenter the race just hours after Rodriguez withdrew.

Asked whether Evers’ endorsement was a signal that Crowley was the establishment candidate, he responded, “Well, I don’t know who the establishment is … when you think about the state of Wisconsin, you look at a Black kid from the city of Milwaukee, this is not what the establishment looks like.”

Crowley said he is primarily focused on defeating Tiffany, despite his speech that raised questions about Hong’s electability. “This isn’t about her. This isn’t about any other campaign. This is about what I bring to the table when it comes to my executive experience.”

Crowley was first elected county executive in 2020, becoming the first Black county executive and the youngest person to hold the office in county history. He served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 2017 to 2020 and got his start in public service as a community organizer and then as an aide to elected officials. 

In the first iteration of his campaign, Crowley attempted to sell Wisconsinites on his experience, particularly his ability to work across the aisle, demonstrated by the deal he cut with Republican leaders in the state Legislature to secure an additional sales tax for Milwaukee County.

But his experience in public office also poses political problems for Crowley’s campaign. The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) went through a budget scandal in 2025 and is now planning a massive budget cut in 2027, driven largely by long-stagnant state aid. Earlier this year, the county’s health care contract lapsed. Crowley fired the employee reportedly responsible for the lapse. He is also trying to push along a massive $897 million courthouse project that will require him to support a property tax increase on his primary base of political support: Milwaukee County residents.

Crowley has less than a month to campaign before the partisan primary on Aug. 11.

“Every single day there’s been a different change in this race,” Crowley said. “After making this decision, receiving the endorsement of not just Gov. Evers, but many different labor groups as well as elected officials that we had today, I know that we can continue to build the momentum that we need in the next 24 days to not only get a win on Aug. 11, but to defeat Tom Tiffany in November.”

Evers was out of state on a trade trip and did not attend the event.

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