David Crowley Launches Unity Tour After Wisconsin Primary Win

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley became the first Black person to serve as the Democratic nominee for governor of Wisconsin after defeating state Representative Francesca Hong by fewer than 4,000 votes. The primary victory followed a campaign of low initial polling and election night delays caused by mistakes by Milwaukee election officials.

To consolidate a split base, Crowley launched a statewide unity tour on August 12, visiting Madison, Racine, and Milwaukee. Alongside lieutenant governor nominee Sara Godlewski, Crowley met with former primary opponents, including Hong, Kelda Roys, and Joel Brennan. Crowley has emphasized a focus on Wisconsin values and policy goals such as expanding BadgerCare, increasing public school funding, and the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana.

On the issue of AI data centers, Crowley rejected calls for a moratorium, arguing that existing contracts must be honored to avoid taxpayer costs, though he called for the banning of nondisclosure agreements and required builders to pay for their own infrastructure. Republican nominee Tom Tiffany responded with a rally in Deforest, where he criticized Crowley's record and pledged to end data center subsidies and cut property taxes. The general election will feature the ticket of Crowley and Godlewski against Tiffany and his running mate David Varnam.