David Crowley Reenters Wisconsin Governor’s Race With Evers Endorsement

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley reentered the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor on Saturday and quickly nabbed an endorsement from Gov. Tony Evers — a major reversal in a fractured primary that has top state party officials scrambling less than a month before Election Day.

“Democrats cannot afford to head into this general election with a nominee who lacks the experience, who lacks the record or the coalition necessary to win this race, especially with Republicans actively trying to hand us that exact outcome,” Crowley told a crowd of supporters in Milwaukee. “This election is too important to gamble on.”

Just nine days ago, Crowley ended his bid for the governor’s race, endorsing then-Democratic front-runner Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez. But a stunning fall from grace over her campaign's mishandling of financial records led Rodriguez to exit the race herself on Friday, leaving Democratic socialist Francesca Hong and another progressive, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, at the top of the Democratic field.

Many Democrats fear that choosing someone from the party’s leftward flank like Hong, whose momentum is surging, could put the seat in play for Republican nominee Rep. Tom Tiffany, potentially costing them not just the governor’s mansion, but also down-ballot seats in the state legislature despite the favorable political headwinds nationally.

Now, Crowley is back, buoyed by the support of the state’s two-term governor.

“He's not just a candidate who can win in November, but he's the kind of person who cares about doing the job right, he has the experience to make tough decisions, and he's proven he can work together with others to get good things done,” Evers announced on social media Saturday, hours before Crowley’s official re-entry into the race. “I'm proud to endorse him to be Wisconsin's next governor.”

Voters will head to the polls for the gubernatorial primary on Aug. 11. Early voting kicks off on July 28.