Wisconsin Politics: Crowley Defeats Tiffany to Become State's First Black Governor
The Milwaukee County executive overcame a fundraising gap and national headwinds to unseat the Republican challenger.
By Scott Marshall ·
Wisconsin voters on Tuesday chose David Crowley as their next governor, a result that places a 40-year-old Milwaukee County executive in the state’s highest office. This victory marks the first time a Black person has been elected governor in the state.
Crowley defeated Republican Representative Tom Tiffany, a member of Congress from a largely rural district in northern Wisconsin. The win keeps the governor’s mansion in Democratic hands after two terms by incumbent Tony Evers. Crowley is also the youngest person elected to the job in the state since the late 1920s.
The path to the general election was volatile for Crowley. He initially suspended his primary campaign in July while polling in the low single digits. He relaunched the effort just 10 days later, securing a key endorsement from outgoing Governor Evers. That pivot helped him defeat state Representative Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist who had led earlier polls. Crowley won that primary by fewer than 4,000 votes.
Tiffany entered the general election with a substantial financial advantage, driven largely by donations from three billionaire megadonors. He ran a campaign focused on affordability, proposing state spending increases to lower costs for childcare, healthcare, and housing. Crowley countered by emphasizing his personal history, noting he grew up in a poor part of Milwaukee where his family faced homelessness and his parents battled drug addiction.
National political dynamics weighed heavily on the race. Polls indicated growing negative views of President Donald Trump among Wisconsin voters. Crowley’s campaign used television ads to portray Tiffany as a loyal ally of the president. Tiffany’s team responded by attacking Crowley over property and sales tax increases during his time as county executive and for past statements supporting undocumented immigrants.
In the final weeks, high-profile Democrats including former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and Maryland Governor Wes Moore campaigned for Crowley. Despite a rise in unfavorable polling numbers late in the race, Crowley relied on strong support from Milwaukee County and Dane County. These two jurisdictions are the most populated and heavily Democratic areas in the state.
Crowley’s victory completes a rapid turnaround from his near-abandonment of the race in the summer. He now prepares to succeed Evers, bringing a moderate Democratic voice to a state that has served as a key battleground in recent national elections.
