# David Crowley **David Crowley** is a Wisconsin Democrat and the Milwaukee County executive who won the state's open race for governor on November 3, 2026, defeating Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany. He will succeed Democratic Gov. [[Tony Evers]], who chose not to seek a third term, and he will be **the first Black governor in Wisconsin's 178-year history**. Crowley grew up on Milwaukee's north side in a family that struggled with addiction and repeated evictions, and in 2020 he became Milwaukee County's youngest and first Black county executive. His win gives Democrats a third consecutive term in the governor's office in one of the country's closest battleground states. > [!success] Election result > [[Decision Desk HQ]] projected on election night, November 3, 2026, that Crowley defeated Tiffany, and Tiffany conceded at about 9:45 p.m. Central time (Wisconsin Public Radio, Urban Milwaukee). The [[Associated Press]] had not called the race when Tiffany conceded; its November 4 story reported Crowley's victory. Vote totals are unofficial until Wisconsin certifies the result. Full race context: [[WI-Gov-2026]]. Live coverage: [[2026 Midterms Live - Election Results War Room]]. ## Background - **Milwaukee childhood.** He grew up in Milwaukee's 53206 ZIP code on the city's north side, one of its poorest neighborhoods (Milwaukee County, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Associated Press). His parents struggled with addiction and his family went through evictions (Wisconsin Public Radio, Associated Press); Wisconsin Public Radio reported that he has cited those experiences as motivation for his political work. The Journal Sentinel reported that his family was evicted three times. He attended Bay View High School (Milwaukee County, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). - **Early career.** He started in politics as an organizer on Russ Feingold's 2010 U.S. Senate reelection campaign (Wisconsin Public Radio, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel), then worked as an aide to Nikiya Harris Dodd, a Milwaukee County supervisor who later became a state senator (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wikipedia). - **State Assembly.** He was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2016 (Wisconsin Public Radio, Urban Milwaukee). - **County executive.** In 2020 he was elected Milwaukee County executive, the youngest person and the first Black person to hold the post (Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Public Radio, Urban Milwaukee). The county's official biography says he won a second term in April 2024 with 85 percent of the vote. - **College degree.** He returned to school while in office and finished a bachelor's degree at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2024 (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wikipedia). Wisconsin Public Radio reported that he is the first in his family to graduate from college. ## The 2026 campaign - **Launch.** After Evers decided not to seek a third term, Crowley formally launched his campaign on September 9, 2025 (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wikipedia). - **Exit and return.** Struggling to gain ground, he suspended his campaign on July 8, 2026 and endorsed Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez. After Rodriguez ended her own campaign, he re-entered the race on July 18 with Evers's backing (WEAU, Wikipedia, Wisconsin Public Radio). Wisconsin Public Radio described the return as an effort to offer an alternative to the front-runner, state Rep. Francesca Hong of Madison, a democratic socialist. - **Primary.** He won the August 11, 2026 Democratic primary with about 39.8 percent, beating Hong by less than half a percentage point (WEAU, Urban Milwaukee, Associated Press). WEAU reported that a Marquette Law School poll released July 29 had shown him at 7 percent. - **General election.** Tiffany, a congressman from a mostly rural district, had [[Donald Trump]]'s endorsement (WEAU, Wisconsin Public Radio). Crowley tied Tiffany to Trump throughout the race (Wisconsin Public Radio), and the Associated Press reported that he blamed high gas prices on Tiffany's support for the [[Iran War 2026]]. Tiffany's campaign attacked Crowley's record on crime and taxes in Milwaukee (Wisconsin Public Radio, Associated Press), including a deal Crowley struck with Republican legislators that let Milwaukee's city and county raise sales taxes (Wisconsin Public Radio). - **Issues.** The Associated Press reported that Crowley called for repealing Act 10, the 2011 law that largely ended collective bargaining for most public workers, and for expanding [[Medicaid]], fully funding public schools and widening access to child care. It also reported that Tiffany nicknamed him "Data Center David Crowley" and that Crowley came out for a moratorium on [[Data Centers]] in October. - **Running mate.** Wisconsin Public Radio reported that Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, his running mate, was elected lieutenant governor. - **Victory speech.** "Because of you all, a boy facing eviction will now live in the governor's mansion," he told supporters, according to the Associated Press. He added: "In a state this close, nobody gets to govern alone." ## Connections - [[WI-Gov-2026]] — the race he won - [[Tony Evers]] — the retiring Democratic governor he succeeds, who backed his return to the race - [[Decision Desk HQ]] — first to project his win on election night - [[2026 Governor Races Hub]] — every governor's race on the 2026 ballot - [[2026 Midterms Live - Election Results War Room]] — election-night coverage ## Sources - [Wisconsin Public Radio — Democrat David Crowley defeats Republican Tom Tiffany for Wisconsin governor](https://www.wpr.org/news/democrat-david-crowley-defeats-republican-tom-tiffany-wisconsin-governor-2026) - [NPR — Democrat David Crowley will be Wisconsin's first Black governor](https://www.npr.org/2026/11/03/g-s1-151235/democrat-david-crowley-will-be-wisconsins-first-black-governor) - [Urban Milwaukee — David Crowley Trumps Tom Tiffany, Wins Gubernatorial Race](https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2026/11/03/david-crowley-trumps-tom-tiffany-wins-gubernatorial-race/) - [Associated Press via Beloit Daily News — Republican Tom Tiffany concedes defeat in Wisconsin governor's race](https://www.beloitdailynews.com/news/national-news/republican-tom-tiffany-concedes-defeat-in-wisconsin-governors-race/article_6e44e6eb-b8d0-5fec-96ec-ce5053ec90c5.html) - [Milwaukee County — About County Executive David Crowley](https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/County-Executive/About-David) - [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via Yahoo News — Who is David Crowley, the latest Democrat jumping into Wisconsin governor's race?](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/david-crowley-latest-democrat-jumping-152639667.html) - [WEAU — David Crowley defeats Francesca Hong after a nail-biter race and whirlwind primary](https://www.weau.com/2026/08/12/david-crowley-defeats-hong-after-nail-biter-race-whirlwind-primary/) - [Wikipedia — David Crowley (Wisconsin politician)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Crowley_(Wisconsin_politician))