David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive who was among the first Democrats to announce he’d run to replace outgoing Gov. Tony Evers, is ending his campaign.
Crowley announced Wednesday he would end his campaign. In a statement, he said he is “stepping out of this race, but I am not stepping away from the work.”
“Politics should not be about who talks the loudest,” Crowley said in the statement. “It’s about showing up, working with anyone who wants to solve the problem and delivering results people can see in their own communities. That’s how I’ve governed in Milwaukee County, and that’s how I’ll keep governing.”
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On Thursday, Crowley formally endorsed Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, describing her as someone with a record of solving problems.
“That’s the governor Wisconsin needs, and that’s why I’m proud to stand with her,” Crowley said in a statement.
In July 2025, after Evers said he would retire at the end of his term, Crowley made known his intentions to run. Throughout his time on the trail, he highlighted a record of working across the aisle, as when he helped to negotiate a sales tax increase aimed at bringing additional revenue to Milwaukee County.
He also discussed his challenging upbringing, growing up in Milwaukee’s troubled 53206 zip code and experiencing eviction multiple times. In 2024, he earned his college degree nearly two decades after dropping out.
And he didn’t shy away from what he described as a constant question on the campaign trail: whether Wisconsin was ready to elect a Black man from Milwaukee to a statewide office.
“If it’s a candidate with a track record of delivering results and winning, and not just talking about them, yes,” he said at this year’s state Democratic convention.
But in spite of a boost in ad spending and a slate of prominent endorsements, Crowley never achieved much traction in the polls.
Crowley also faced criticism early this year when the Milwaukee County benefits director let lapse a health insurance contract that covered more than 5,000 county workers. That director was fired, but some county officials said Crowley didn’t take enough accountability for the failure.
Crowley previously served in the state Assembly, before becoming the first Black person ever elected Milwaukee County executive in 2020.
Crowley is the second Democrat to drop out of a crowded primary field. In late June, former Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation head Missy Hughes suspended her campaign, also throwing her weight behind Rodriguez.
Crowley declined to endorse another Democrat in the race in his initial announcement, waiting until Thursday morning to announce his support for Rodriguez. He initially said that Democrats’ most important task is to defeat leading Republican candidate Tom Tiffany in November.
With Crowley’s announcement, five Democrats remain in the field. The primary election is Aug. 11.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with Crowley’s Thursday endorsement of Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez.
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