Budget-Bungling Milwaukee Executive David Crowley Gets Democrat Nod in WI Gov Primary

From campaign dropout to nominee, Crowley's thin victory shows the Democrat establishment is not quite dead yet.

Wisconsin's Democrat voters surprised pollsters Tuesday night by narrowly snubbing socialist Francesca Hong, instead choosing Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley to run against Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in the November governor election.

Crowley, who has been county executive since 2020, exited the governor's race weeks ago, only to reenter after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropped out due to a campaign finance scandal. Upon his return, Crowley received an endorsement from outgoing Gov. Tony Evers, signaling establishment Democrats were in his corner. 

Milwaukee residents may know Crowley best for the budget shortfalls that have plagued the county under Crowley's direction, year after year—that is, a $46 million gap for the 2026 budget year and projected deficits climbing past $50 million for 2027, the county reported in a public statement. 

Milwaukee County has a $1.4 billion 2026 budget. The financial pain from the shortfall will soon be felt from the recently announced deep funding cuts to the public transit system budget, resulting in a proposed 25 percent cut in bus services by 2027. To stay afloat, Milwaukee County needs more money to offer fewer services. 

That will leave voters wondering: why should Crowley get his hands on Wisconsin's entire budget?

Crowley initially dropped out of the race because his candidacy generated next-to-no interest—he is about as exciting as potato chip crumbs at the bottom of the bag. Crowley is not who national news outlets trekked to Wisconsin to see. All eyes were on Wisconsin State Assemblywoman Francesca Hong, a communist member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). And although voters blocked the DSA from getting access to the governorship this time, the socialist influence is still alive in Wisconsin. Hong remains in power in the Assembly, and her close socialist friend, Rep. Ryan Clancy (DSA) won his primary race and has the incumbent advantage going into November, where he will face Republican Yasmine B. Outlaw. Clancy's wife managed Hong's campaign.

Neither Hong of Madison nor Crowley of Milwaukee campaigned much outside their metropolitan centers. The northern and rural counties were largely ignored by Democrats.

Tiffany is from Oneida County and is a former member of the Oneida County Economic Development Corporation. He is a small businessman who grew up on a dairy farm, was elected to the state Assembly in 2010, the state Senate in 2012, and in 2020, Wisconsin sent Tiffany to Congress. Before that, Tiffany operated the Wilderness Queen tour boat in Oneida County for 20 years.

Tiffany released a statement the morning after the election about Crowley's narrow win. 

"I've said all along that there's not a dime's worth of difference between these Democrat candidates, and 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. I'm running to lower costs, restore accountability in Madison, and expand opportunity across our state."

MORE FROM RESTORATION NEWS:

     WISCONSIN: Keep Your Commie Hands Off Our Food

     ABORTION: Massachusetts Democrats Remove All Restrictions on Late-Term Abortion—What It Means for America

     ELECTION INTEGRITY: Paxton-Talarico Voting Controversy Shows Why Voter Roll Transparency and Clean Rolls Are Crucial

     SOCIALISM: Godless Marxism 101: How Howard Zinn Infiltrated Public Schools

We need your help to save America—chip in today.

Restoration News, a project of Restoration of America, is your trusted investigative news source for the America First movement. As a rapidly growing conservative news site, we focus on delivering accurate and insightful exposés on political news, immigration news, leftist lies, and other pressing issues affecting everyday Americans. Our uncompromising commitment to a hard-hitting, fact-based, America First, and faithful perspective ensures that you receive news that aligns with your values.

Every dollar gets us closer to winning the war on woke.