On Saturday, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley announced he was back in the upcoming governor's race. Crowley dropped out about two weeks ago and endorsed current Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez. Then, last Monday, Rodriguez's campaign imploded after it discovered her campaign manager had made some serious errors on the finance reports. That campaign manager was fired, but Rodriguez said she was going to forge ahead, laughably claiming that she was demonstrating leadership by not looking at her campaign finances for months, then hastily firing her campaign manager two days before the next round of reports were due.
That lasted until Friday, when Rodriguez realized she didn't even have enough money to limp to the August 11 primary. Her withdrawal from the race sent the Wisconsin Democrats (WisDems) into full-blown panic mode. Why? The current frontrunners are Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who served under outgoing Gov. Tony Evers during his first term. Internal polling shows neither of them will win the general election so, much like in Maine, the Democrats are seeking to undemocratically coronate a nominee.
That would be Crowley, it seems, who finally earned an endorsement from Tony Evers, who refused to endorse either of his former running mates.
Today, I'm endorsing @DavidcCrowley to be Wisconsin’s next governor.
— Tony Evers (@Tony4WI) July 18, 2026
I'm urging Wisconsinites to join me in uniting and supporting David in the upcoming August 11 primary and the November election.
We’ve got a lot to do and only a short time to do it, folks. Let’s get to work! pic.twitter.com/KvArA2cZdt
The endorsement reads:
In 2018, in a hotly contested primary for governor to decide who'd face Scott Walker, Wisconsinites picked a nerdy kid with glasses born and raised here in America's Dairyland—someone who wasn't flashy, who'd spent more time in public service than in partisan politics, and who promised to always do the right thing.
Eight years ago, Wisconsinites chose to put their faith, trust, and hope in me, believing that, together, we could win and build a better future for our kids and grandkids, and, today, I humbly ask Wisconsinites to do so once again.
I have indicated I did not plan to endorse anyone in the race for governor because I know each of the candidates and I wanted them to have the opportunity to make their case to Wisconsinites first, just like I did. I also believe that, in a race this close, Wisconsinites deserve to have the perspective of someone who's done the job, 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.
I’m all in on making sure Wisconsinites continue to have a governor who will stand up for the people of our state, who understands the challenges facing working families and has real plans to help, and who will work to do the right thing when it matters most, and that’s why I’m all in on David Crowley—and I’m urging Wisconsinites to join me in supporting him.
David is not only the best candidate to beat Tom Tiffany, 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.
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. I’m proud to endorse him to be Wisconsin’s next governor.
We need David to win, and we need all hands on deck to make it happen. Tom Tiffany marches in lockstep with Donald Trump, and because of them, Wisconsinites can no longer afford health insurance, kids, families, and seniors will lose access to basic necessities like food, and everyday costs are going up on everything from groceries to gas to utility bills—Wisconsinites literally cannot afford for Tom Tiffany to be our next governor.
And it’s not just about what we’re fighting to stop but what we’re fighting for and working to protect. Everyone knows what’s at stake in Wisconsin this November. In short: everything. The historic funding we’ve secured for our public schools and our communities, access to reproductive healthcare, our efforts to clean up our water and hold big polluters accountable, investments in affordable housing, Main Streets, and small businesses, our work to protect SNAP, Medicaid, and Medicare from more Republican attacks and cuts, and so much more.
Our state will move backward if Tom Tiffany is our next governor—Wisconsinites can count on that. Wisconsin only knows one direction to go, and that’s Forward, and let’s unite to make sure David is our next governor so we can keep building the future our kids and grandkids deserve.
We’ve got a lot to do and only a short time to do it. Let’s get to work.
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But even a Democrat strategist is warning this looks like a third instance of the Democratic Party picking the nominee instead of honoring the will of the voters. This includes Joe Zepecki, who joined local media on Sunday to discuss the race.
"People are frustrated with our politicians ... so the risk is that this looks like the establishment once again deciding for voters."
— Matt Smith (@mattsmith_news) July 19, 2026
Democratic strategist Joe Zepecki on Crowley re-entering, the gov endorsing and what it means for the final days of the primary: pic.twitter.com/tLhbd80Grh
"I think the whiplash of it was pretty jarring," Zepecki said. "Sunday night to Monday, you had her campaign get hit with this, and then her try to sort of grit her way through it. It looked for about 48 hours like she was going to be able to do that," referring to Sara Rodriguez.
"I've heard from people who as recently as Thursday night were at events with her where it was all systems go, and then by Friday morning, a very different story," he said.
Of Crowley reentering the race, Zepecki said, "It's unprecedented as far as I can tell for anyone to suspend and then unsuspend a campaign within a week's time. David Crowley is an extraordinary leader who has really proven that he can work with both Democrats and Republicans."
"This is a high-risk move," he continued, "but the upside is also very high."
When asked about the anger of voters who perceive this as Democrats trying to pick anyone to be the nominee other than Francesca Hong, Zepecki said, "There is risk to that, but it also feels like they don't want Mandela Barnes. And I think those are two candidates who are unabashed outsiders and are clearly not part of the establishment. And so the risk is you see a repeat of 2016, where the fight between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders divided the Democratic Party. You see potentially in the fall some risk around when Joe Biden blessed Kamala Harris just 20 minutes after he decided he wasn't running."
"People are frustrated with our politicians. They are upset and angry with the establishment and with institutions, so the risk is that this looks like the establishment once again deciding for voters," Zepecki added.
That's because it is. If they weren't, they would have let Rodriguez drop out and let voters nominate Hong. But WisDems know Hong will lose the general election, so they cannot allow voters to pick her in the primary.
Crowley spoke too about his decision to reenter the race, saying he was 'upset' and 'disappointed' by the Rodriguez campaign's financial troubles.
"Was I upset? Absolutely. Was I disappointed? Absolutely."
— Matt Smith (@mattsmith_news) July 19, 2026
David Crowley at this re-launch on the revelations of Sara Rodriguez's campaign financial crisis after his endorsement, his decision to re-enter and if he'll have enough money re-entering the race: pic.twitter.com/eSVIXT4Vx6
"Governor Tony Evers understands what's required to run, to win, and govern in Wisconsin because he's already done it," Crowley said. "The governor's endorsement reflects his confidence that I have the experience, that I have the judgment and the record to build the type of coalition we need to defeat Tom Tiffany and lead effectively from the very first day in office."
And Crowley gives away the game on the establishment in these remarks.
"This race is not just about how can win the primary, y'all. This is about winning in November. Republicans are spending millions right now to prop up candidates they believe that they can beat. They made their choice. Now it's time for Democrats; we need to make our choice," he added.
Jason Calvi asked Crowley about Evers' endorsement and whether it could backfire.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers breaks his nearly yearlong silence on who he wants to succeed him: David Crowley.
— Jason Calvi (@JasonCalvi) July 19, 2026
Could it backfire?
I ask Crowley after he got back in the race the week after dropping out.
More in 🧵 pic.twitter.com/BE0eQlgigN
"I don't know who the establishment is, and when you think about the state of Wisconsin," Crowley began.
"The governor?" Calvi interrupted.
"Well, again, when you think about the state of Wisconsin and you look at a black kid from the city of Milwaukee, this is not what the establishment looks like," Crowley replied. "And so I am focused on what we need to do in order to win this race, to make sure we can beat Tom Tiffany in November."
Francesca Hong also weighed in, confident that she will still have the momentum to win the nomination.
"It gives voters another option perhaps. However, I think the voters right now, many of them are with us, and we will continue to grow our momentum."
— Matt Smith (@mattsmith_news) July 19, 2026
Francesca Hong Fri on David Crowley re-entering, the gov endorsing and the push by some Dems attempting to stop her from winning pic.twitter.com/icoODRYlTT
"We have been a campaign committed to accountability, transparency, because that's what makes democracy stronger," Hong said. "We want to make sure that this is an election where the voters decide and we will continue to work to meet voters in every single corner of this state."
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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