Wisconsin News

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley planning to enter race for Wisconsin governor

July 28, 2025

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley plans to enter a growing field of Democrats running for the first open seat for Wisconsin governor since 2010. His announcement came less than 24 hours after Gov. Tony Evers said he would not seek reelection.

In a statement issued early Friday morning, Crowley described Evers as a “steady, principled leader during some of the most turbulent times in Wisconsin history.” He said he’s been proud to work alongside Evers and cares deeply “about the direction Wisconsin takes from here.”

“It is more important than ever that Wisconsin continues to have strong leadership,” Crowley said. “In the weeks ahead, I will be taking steps toward entering the race for Governor. The stakes are simply too high to sit on the sidelines.”

Crowley was elected as Milwaukee County executive in 2020 and was reelected in 2024. He is the youngest person to ever hold the position and the county’s first Black person to lead the county government.

Prior to his role with Milwaukee County, Crowley was a state representative for the city of Milwaukee in the Wisconsin Assembly from 2016 through 2019.

Also on Friday morning, Democratic Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, announced her campaign for governor. She’s served alongside Evers since 2022.

With an open seat, political analysts expect to see a crowded Democratic primary race ahead of the November 2026 election. Several other Democrats, including state Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who ran side-by-side with Evers during his first campaign in 2018 and served until he launched a failed U.S. Senate bid in 2022, have also said they’re considering entering the race for governor.

Other names floated as potential Democratic candidates include Attorney General Josh Kaul, who was first elected with Evers in 2018 and reelected in 2022; Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski; Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and former Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler.

On the Republican side, two candidates have officially joined the race. Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann was the first to toss his hat in the ring on May 1. Business Executive Bill Berrien followed with a campaign launch on July 9.

There could well be more Republicans entering the GOP primary for governor. Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany has been hinting at a run on social media. On Thursday, former Gov. Scott Walker, who served from 2011 until his defeat by Evers in 2018, also appeared to tease a comeback campaign in a series of social media posts Thursday and Friday.

Following Evers’ retirement announcement, political forecaster Sabato’s Crystal Ball shifted its rating for Wisconsin’s governor race from “Leans D” to “Toss-up,” saying Democrats should “still have a decent chance” to hold the seat during the 2026 midterms while noting “there’s added variability now” without Evers’ incumbency advantage.