Crowley “Was Never Really Able to Catch Fire”
David Crowley is already being met with criticism as he re-launches his campaign (one week after he dropped out of the race).
Crowley, who has ties to the big corporations that have funded his campaigns, is trying to take up the “leading establishment Democrat” despite never getting above 3% during the year he campaigned for Wisconsin’s highest office.
Here’s a quick look at the buzz surrounding his re-entry into the race:
Dan Shafer: Hard not to think of the Crowley campaign as anything other than a huge disappointment. He came in as a top tier candidate… but never gained momentum.
Politico: Two senior Wisconsin strategists, granted anonymity to speak candidly, said that elevating Crowley would be an uphill battle “It’s probably not a realistic move at this point, even with the governor’s support, because of the time constraint,” said one. “David was never really able to catch fire and resonate with voters.”
WisPolitics: Several [insiders] warned it could backfire if the Dem base saw the establishment putting its thumb on the scale in the primary. Insiders also noted a series of challenges Crowley would face trying to win the nomination. The biggest challenge cited is how to gather the resources it would take to make Crowley a viable contender for the party’s nomination in what would amount to a three-week sprint to the Aug. 11 primary.
Wisconsin Political Science Professor Anthony Chergosky: The core reality of the Wisconsin governor race, imo, is that a fragmented field helps Hong. To the extent that David Crowley’s reentry into the field re-fragments the race, it helps her.
Statement from Mandela Barnes Campaign Manager Darby O’Connor: “David Crowley left this race for a reason. After nearly an entire year in the race, the only attention he received was for a major healthcare scandal that threw Milwaukee residents off their insurance. He and his allies spent nearly a million dollars but gained absolutely no traction and was stuck in the low single digits. With just 3 weeks until Election Day and after nearly 70,000 people have voted, this Hail Mary serves no purpose other than playing spoiler and handing our state to Trump’s handpicked candidate in Tom Tiffany.”
From day one through his exit, David Crowley gained absolutely no support:
- Marquette (October 2025) David Crowley 3%
- Marquette (February 2026) David Crowley 3%
- Marquette (March 2026) David Crowley 3%
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by Mandela Barnes
The Math Still Ain’t Mathing…
Jul 16th, 2026 by Mandela BarnesMandela Barnes Outraises The Entire Primary Field While Sara Rodriguez’s Campaign Falls Nearly $120k In Debt So Far; Rodriguez Running Ads On TV While Still Owing Taxpayers Thousands Of Dollars For Security
Mandela Barnes Announces Raising Nearly $1.4 Million in Campaign for Governor Now
Jul 15th, 2026 by Mandela BarnesBarnes Also Backed By Independent Expenditure That Has Raised Nearly One Million Dollars; Fundraising Haul Comes As Internal And Rival Polling Shows Him Leading Primary Field And Beating Tom Tiffany
The jealousy and flailing of this statement is obvious. Mandela’s campaign has nothing to mention beyond old polls and events from a few months ago.
DROP OUT. You’re not going to win and will be nothing but a spoiler. No one wants you to blow another winnable race against an insurrectionist scumbag.