Crowley wins election, becoming Wisconsin’s first Black governor

This story has been updated.

In a historic victory Tuesday night, David Crowley was elected as Wisconsin’s first African American governor. Crowley, who became Milwaukee’s first Black county executive in 2019, defeated Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in a contentious race. 

The Associated Press called the race with 84% of the vote counted. Crowley had 53.6% of the vote to Tiffany’s 46.4%.

Tiffany is conceded in the race at around 9:45 p.m. “While we have our differences, we both love this great state,” Tiffany said. “And I wish him and his family the very best.” One person in the crowd at Tiffany’s victory party started heckling Crowley. Tiffany responded: “We’re gonna be magnanimous tonight.”

Angela Lang, director of Milwaukee BLOC — Black Leaders Organizing for Communities — joined the throng of celebrants at Crowley’s victory party in Milwaukee.

“I’m feeling energized,” she said. “I’m feeling emotional in the greatest way, I am feeling encouraged, and I am really sitting in the fact that we just elected our first Black governor.”

Lang said she was particularly moved by Crowley’s speech, in which he described his difficult childhood, as the son of parents who struggled with poverty and addiction and were repeatedly evicted from their homes. “It goes to show what this state is capable of,” she said. “So many times it has felt like there has been this ceiling on what Black folks, particularly Black folks who have gone through traumatic situations, have been able to overcome. And to know that we have somebody that has gone through the struggle, has gone through the trenches, and as he said, has gone from homelessness to the governor’s mansion, is amazing. And I’m still processing. I’m ecstatic, but it’s also still hitting me.”

“I don’t think I was shocked,” she added. “I’ve always been nervous. Because sometimes Wisconsin doesn’t always do the right thing. But I always knew it was possible and I’m glad to know that the rest of Wisconsin felt it was possible too.”

“It’s simply amazing,” said Pam Fendt, president of the  Milwaukee Area Labor Council. “Labor wanted a candidate who would listen to the working people of Wisconsin, and we got that with David Crowley.”

“We look forward to working with the new governor and getting change in our state laws so that more workers can organize,” she added.

Tuesday night concluded a dynamic campaign for Crowley. During the Democratic primary, Crowley initially dropped out due to low polling numbers and endorsed Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez. 

Just days after Crowley endorsed Rodriguez, however, she also dropped out due to financial mismanagement within her campaign. This left state Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison), who ran as a democratic socialist, with a significant double digit lead over her remaining opponents. Crowley re-entered the race stating that many people, including Gov. Tony Evers, had urged him to run. 

After Crowley restarted his campaign, Evers — who had previously refrained from making an endorsement  — pitched Crowley as the only candidate capable of beating Tiffany. 

Crowley pushed back against claims that he re-entered the race because of Evers, or that he was the establishment candidate. He narrowly defeated Hong in the primary. 

The general election featured attack ads paid for by dark money groups that accused Crowley of raising sales and property taxes. Some ads urged viewers not to let Crowley make the rest of Wisconsin look like Milwaukee. 

Republicans tried to portray Crowley as a corrupt politician who funneled  money into a non-profit where his wife worked. Ads also focused on immigration, listing crimes committed  by non-citizens and re-played a clip of Crowley vowing to support immigrant communities by saying “I’m an accomplice.” 

Late in the race, an  ad originating from a GOP-linked group masquerading as a left-wing progressive outfit accused Crowley of being too pro-law enforcement, while other Republican attacks accused him of being soft on crime. 

Crowley focused on pitching his record of governing Milwaukee County. Pro-Crowley ads promised to make life more affordable and increase housing and slammed Tiffany as being more loyal to President Donald Trump than to Wisconsin. 

During the only candidate debate  in October, Crowley described Tiffany as in the pocket of the billionaires funding his campaign. Just three billionaires, Beloit resident Dianne Hendricks and Illinois residents Richard and Liz Uihlein contributed about 90% of the funds raised by the Tiffany campaign, directed to the Republican Party of Wisconsin and then transferred to the candidate.