What to Know About David Crowley, a Democratic Candidate for Wisconsi…

David Crowley Competes in Close Democratic Primary for Wisconsin Governor

David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, remained in a close contest with state Representative Francesca Hong for the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin governor as returns were counted Tuesday evening. Crowley had withdrawn from the race the previous month before reentering after another candidate ended her campaign and receiving an endorsement from Gov. Tony Evers.

The Milwaukee County executive, who was locked in a tight race for the Democratic nomination against Francesca Hong, could become the first Black governor of Wisconsin if he prevails in the primary and the general election. Crowley, now 40, became the first Black person to serve as Milwaukee County executive when he took the post six years ago.

Here are five things to know about him:

1. Limited opinion polls before the primary showed Crowley trailing. He had been viewed as a long-shot candidate entering Tuesday, with Hong positioned ahead in available surveys. Some Democrats raised questions about Hong’s ability to compete in a general election in the battleground state. Crowley sought to highlight his own record of working across party lines in the closing days of the campaign.

2. Gov. Tony Evers endorsed Crowley late in the race. Evers, who chose not to seek a third term, described Crowley as prepared for the governorship because of his experience leading the state’s largest county. “He gets stuff done,” Evers said at one event. “He is an administrator. He is an executive. And he’s got a heart as big as they come.”

3. Crowley would be Wisconsin’s first Black governor if elected. He has already broken barriers in state politics as the first Black Milwaukee County executive. He was also the youngest person to hold that position when he assumed the role at age 34.

4. Crowley has described being evicted from homes three times during childhood. He grew up on Milwaukee’s North Side. Both of his parents struggled with addiction and mental health challenges, according to his campaign. He has said that experience led him to community organizing and later to service in the state legislature. Family members nicknamed him “Governor” as a child. “I wanted to feed my aunt, my grandmother, my uncles, take out the garbage and do the dishes,” he told The Capital Times of Madison. “I wanted to serve my family before I actually sat down and started eating. And so they used to call me ‘Governor.’”

5. Crowley has expressed caution about tax increases. He has called for a broad review of the tax system rather than immediate hikes on higher earners. “We absolutely need to tax the ultrawealthy,” he said at a candidates’ debate last month. “But we need to be smart about how we’re doing things long-term.” In a social media post about property taxes, he wrote, “The taxes are too damn high.”

Crowley’s path included an initial withdrawal followed by a return to the race after another candidate stepped aside. Evers’s endorsement came after that reentry. The primary outcome will determine the Democratic nominee for the November general election in a state that has been closely divided in recent statewide contests.