Two weeks after ending his bid for governor of Wisconsin, David Crowley returned to the state’s Democratic primary on Saturday, with the Milwaukee County executive boasting a last-minute endorsement from the outgoing governor. Tony Evers in a move ostensibly to better position the party for success in November.
Evers had initially declined to endorse in the race, but threw his weight behind Crowley and revived his bid to lead the state known for narrow electoral margins, where attracting moderate and independent voters is crucial. It was the latest twist in a chaotic Democratic primary that has threatened the party’s chances this fall and comes after Gov. Sara Rodriguez said she was abandoning her campaign for the state’s top office after a campaign finance scandal.
Democrats have been waiting since November provided complete control of the Wisconsin state government for the first time since 2010 and will hopefully send a signal about where the country’s politics are headed by forming a key political battleground that helps decide presidential campaigns.
At an event in Milwaukee on Saturday relaunching his campaign, Crowley addressed the stakes, saying “winning this election will require building the broadest coalition possible” and touting his ability to forge relationships across partisan divides. And Evers’ endorsement, he continued, “reflects his confidence that I have the experience” to lead and win.
Evers was on a trade visit to Africa and was not in attendance at Crowley’s Saturday event, but acknowledged in a social media post that he was now “all in” for Crowley, touting his executive leadership on issues including job creation and balancing budgets.
“He’s not just a candidate who can win in November, but he’s the kind of person who cares about getting the job done right,” Evers wrote.
Crowley, 40, it is reappearing in a competitive primary for Wisconsin’s open governor’s race that returned Friday with the departure of Rodriguez, who earlier in the week fired her campaign manager after discovering her campaign had hundreds of thousands of dollars less in hand than expected.
Now, as Wisconsin’s Aug. 11 primary approaches, Democrats hope to hold on to the governor’s office as they also eye control of a majority of the state legislature, which Republicans have held since 2011.
The primary also comes on the heels of previous victories by the Democratic Socialists in the liberal strongholds of New York City, Washington, DCAND Denver. Franceska Hong, a single mother who has worked as a dishwasher and cook, is trying do the same with her campaign for governor of Wisconsin, with her candidacy turning the race democratic in a test of how far left-leaning voters are willing to go in November’s midterm elections.
Crowley, who would be the state’s first black governor if elected, had ended his bid two weeks ago to endorse Rodriguez. Now, he is returning to a race against Hong, former Govt. Mandela BarnesState Sen. Kelda Roys and Joel Brennan, a former top Evers aide.
In an interview Saturday afternoon, Crowley told The Associated Press that voters would see “a much more aggressive campaign” from him in the closing weeks ahead, fueled in part by Evers’ support and “a renewed, energized volunteer base.”
“I wouldn’t have entered this race if I didn’t believe there was a path,” Crowley said. “Not only can we get over the hurdle of winning the August 11th primary, but then we’ll be able to really focus on how we can make sure that Tom Tiffany doesn’t bring an extreme MAGA agenda to the state of Wisconsin,” Crowley said.
Democrats have been struggling to overcome the mess in other messy primaries across this year’s midterm calendar. In California, the race to replace outgoing governor Gavin Newsom was moved a chaotic free for allwith dozens of names on the ballot, and one of the leading contenders, Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, abruptly quit his campaign and Congress after sexual assault allegations. DEMOCRAT Xavier Becerra and republican Steve Hilton eventually advanced by a ” primary in the jungle.”
In the first iteration of his campaign, Crowley leaned on his background, emphasizing how his family was once homeless in Milwaukee, but he became a community organizer and was elected to the state Assembly in 2016 at the age of 30. He served until mid-2020, when he was elected as the executive of the state’s largest county, Milwaukee. He was the first black man to hold that job and also the youngest at 33 years old.
The winner of the Democratic primary will advance to the general election against Republican Tom Tiffany, who faces only primary opposition.
In a statement to the AP, Tiffany portrayed Crowley as “asleep at the wheel” in his role as county executive and described his reemergence as “the Democrats’ only shot at stopping the socialist who wants to abolish police and prisons.”
In an emailed statement, the Republican Governors Association said “watching Wisconsin Democrats is like watching a clown car crash into a parked semi truck.”
By MEG KINNARD Associated Press
Associated Press reporter Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed to this report.
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