Wisconsin’s 2026 Democratic gubernatorial primary will forever demonstrate that 10 days can be a lifetime in election-year politics. In one moment, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez was rising to frontrunner status and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley was endorsing her as he suspended his campaign. But in the political blink of an eye, Rodriguez saw her campaign come crashing down over financial mismanagement — while Crowley rebooted his run thanks to a surprise endorsement from Gov. Tony Evers.
“Allow me to reintroduce myself,” Crowley told a cheering crowd of supporters Saturday morning in Milwaukee. “I am back in the race.”
Crowley’s return and the Evers endorsement appear tied to an effort by some Democrats to hold back another frontrunner, Rep. Francesca Hong, over concerns about her electability in the November general election against Republican US Rep. Tom Tiffany.
Although Evers has stayed out of the primary campaign until now, he did not rule out making an endorsement when he announced almost exactly one year ago that he would not run for a third term in 2026.
“I’ll never say never,” Evers told Jason Calvi of Fox 6 in Milwaukee. “If there’s somebody who really needs support and I want them to win, I might get in.”
Evers did not endorse current lieutenant governor, Sara Rodriguez, nor his first-term lieutenant governor, Mandela Barnes. He did not endorse one of his first top Cabinet officials, Joel Brennan, nor his top economic development secretary, Missy Hughes. They and two leading legislators, Hong and Sen. Kelda Roys, all spent the year praising a governor whose endorsement they would have welcomed but did not expect.
But now, issuing a statement while on a trade mission in Africa, Evers explained his decision to come out for Crowley.
“Wisconsinites deserve to have the perspective of someone who’s done the job,” Evers said, “who understands what it takes, and who’s had the benefit of spending years quietly watching how others in politics conduct themselves and treat people when they thought no one was paying attention.”
“David is not only the best candidate to beat Tom Tiffany,” Evers continued, “he’s the right candidate for the people of Wisconsin. He’s created thousands of new jobs, cut the county’s local carbon emissions in half, and passed a balanced budget, all while delivering the largest property tax cut in the county’s history, and I know he’ll continue to deliver results statewide.”
Crowley contrasted his executive experience with Hong, a third-term legislator, without mentioning her by name.
“On day one, Wisconsin’s next governor will face real challenges that require someone who knows how to manage government, that can work across our political differences, build consensus, and get things done,” Crowley said. “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.”
A super PAC aligned with the Republican Governors Association has begun a million-dollar ad campaign centered on Hong, seemingly to criticize her, but others see it as a way to boost enthusiasm among the Democratic base because Republicans think she would be the easiest nominee to defeat, with her embrace of the democratic socialist label and past comments about abolishing prisons and police in a perfect world. (Hong has said that kind of long-range vision does not mean such things would happen while she is governor.)
While Crowley may also benefit from some part of the reported $1 million still in Evers’ campaign account, Hong doesn’t seem fazed.
“Some powerful people appear to believe they can decide how this primary ends,” Hong said in an email to supporters on Saturday. “But this race does not belong to any one elected official, wealthy donor, or political insider. It belongs to Wisconsin voters. And voters have been making their preference clear.”
And the reaction from the other candidates shows no moves to unify around Crowley as an alternative to Hong.
Roys touts her quarter-century of public service, bipartisan bills, a string of legislative endorsements, and the endorsement of the state’s largest teachers union as signs she is best positioned to defeat Tiffany.
Brennan released a video Saturday promoting himself as having a strong track record as a problem solver in both the public and private sectors.
Barnes released a 30-second ad about his dedication to fighting for Wisconsin families on issues like universal healthcare, increasing taxes on the very wealthy, and fully funding schools.
But Crowley believes there is still time to become a consensus choice on Aug. 11. After all, if 10 days is a lifetime in politics, three weeks is an eternity.
“This election is too important to gamble,” Crowley said. “And that’s why today I am reentering this race.”
