David Crowley Re-enters Wisconsin Governor Race With Evers Backing, Raising $775,000 in Days
Updated
Updated · WPR · Jul 30
David Crowley Re-enters Wisconsin Governor Race With Evers Backing, Raising $775,000 in Days
3 articles · Updated · WPR · Jul 30
Summary
Ten days after suspending his campaign, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley jumped back into Wisconsin’s Democratic governor primary after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez quit, relaunching with Gov. Tony Evers’ endorsement.
Crowley is pitching himself as the mainstream alternative to Francesca Hong, the democratic socialist leading polls, while warning that Republican-linked groups are spending millions on ads that could boost her in the primary.
The late reset gives Crowley fresh money — his campaign says it raised $775,000 since reentering — but also costs him unrecoverable early votes after a Dane County judge barred voters from recasting ballots for dropped-out candidates.
Polls still show Hong ahead, with Crowley running in single digits or near second depending on the survey, leaving Democrats split over whether his comeback can stop Hong or simply divide anti-Hong voters further.
Evers’ support has quickly made Crowley the race’s establishment candidate, sharpening attacks from rivals even as allies argue the backlash ignores his record as Milwaukee County’s first Black elected executive and a bipartisan dealmaker.
How will the strict legal block on recasting over 112,000 early absentee ballots alter the outcome of this late-stage campaign?
Will redirecting millions in federal funds to short-term rental assistance effectively reduce local homelessness without straining future municipal budgets?