Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Crowley called on Democrats to unite as he accepted the nomination Wednesday.
The race was called in the early morning hours Wednesday as Crowley defeated state Rep. Francesca Hong by a razor-thin margin. Hong called Crowley to concede shortly after 2 a.m. . If elected in November, Crowley would be the first Black person to serve as governor of Wisconsin. Crowley was elected as Milwaukee’s first Black county executive in 2020 after serving two terms in the state Assembly.
“The job is not done. The job is not finished,” Crowley said. “My job is not to become the first, and if I do become the first, my job is to make sure that I’m not the last and provide more opportunities for young men and women all across this state.”
Democrats have their work cut out for them as they compete against Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a three-term congressman endorsed by President Donald Trump who currently represents the state’s largest congressional district in the northern half of the state.
Crowley started that work as he accepted the nomination at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Milwaukee.
“Over the past few months, you’ve heard a lot of people try to define this election as a battle between the left and the center, between progressives and the establishment, between insiders and outsiders, that narrative misses the entire point of what we’re doing,” Crowley said.
Crowley’s comeback in the race was powered by an endorsement from Gov. Tony Evers, the popular, departing two-term governor. Evers and Crowley spent the last two weeks traveling around the state in a last-ditch campaign. Crowley had previously dropped out of the race on July 8 and endorsed Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez. When Rodriguez’s campaign imploded due to a financial scandal on July 17, Evers encouraged Crowley to restart his campaign. He reintroduced himself on July 18.
After getting back into the race, Crowley faced accusations of being the “establishment” candidate who was chosen to defeat the democratic socialist candidate, Francesca Hong. He called that accusation a “slur.”
As he accepted the nomination, Crowley thanked Evers “for his friendship, his leadership and his belief that Wisconsin works best when working people come together to solve problems.” He also sought to put to bed the narrative that had surrounded the race as he thanked his primary opponents. He said that Hong’s campaign “reminded people across Wisconsin that there are no long shots when it comes to believing in a better future and fighting to expand opportunities to every family” and said he looks forward to earning the support of Hong voters. The narrative that the primary was ”a battle between the left and the center, between progressive and the establishment, between insiders and outsiders” was inaccurate, Crowley said.
“When I traveled across Wisconsin, I didn’t meet people who introduced themselves that way. I met parents wondering how they afford childcare. I met workers who want wages that keep up with the costs of living. I met farmers trying to preserve family traditions. I met small business owners trying to keep their doors open, and I met seniors who deserve security and dignity after a lifetime of work. We may not agree on every policy, we may not use the same labels, but we all want safe communities, strong schools, affordable health care, good-paying jobs, and a brighter future for all of our children.”
Crowley said Democrats must now unite around keeping “MAGA extremism” out of Wisconsin and called Tiffany the “real threat.”
“Tiffany stood with those who tried to overturn a free and fair presidential election instead of defending our democracy,” Crowley said. “He’s worked in lockstep with Donald Trump to slash programs that Wisconsin families depend on, including SNAP and healthcare for our children, our seniors and veterans and working families. He backed harmful, costly policies like the war in Iran, while too many families right here, right at home, are struggling to make ends meet. He spends his time fueling culture wars because sowing division is much easier than delivering results.”
“Wisconsin, we deserve better than politicians who divide us for their own political gain,” Crowley said.
Tiffany said in a statement about Crowley’s victory that there is “not a dime’s worth of difference between these Democrat candidates.”
“David Crowley proved my point when he admitted there aren’t many policy differences between him and a socialist,” Tiffany said. “His record in Milwaukee County shows exactly what Wisconsin would get: mismanage the government, run up the bill and raise your taxes to pay for it. Wisconsin doesn’t need more of the same failed policies.”
Democrats are meeting for a unity breakfast that will bring together Crowley, Hong, state Sen. Kelda Roys, another of the candidates in the Democratic primary, Lt. Gov. candidate Sarah Godlewski, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan around 11 a.m. in Middleton, as they , seek to move past the divisiveness of the primary with less than three months until the general election.
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