Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has left the Wisconsin governor’s race, saying he cannot overcome the leading candidates and signaling support for Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez while remaining on the August 11 primary ballot.
David Crowley announced he is exiting the Democratic primary after an early burst of momentum and the strongest fundraising month in January failed to translate into sustained polling gains. He had been viewed as a possible frontrunner but ran into stiff competition from Mandela Barnes and Francesca Hong. Crowley’s campaign said the field proved too difficult to overcome, and he will shift his energy away from this bid.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley is bowing out of the race for governor and throwing his support behind Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez.
Crowley was considered a favorite to win by Democrats early in the race, and posted the highest fundraising haul in January, but ultimately failed to gain enough traction to overcome the field’s frontrunners, Francesca Hong and Mandela Barnes.
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His departure comes the same week Rodriguez announced a $1 million ad buy as she seeks to raise her position, which is within striking distance of Hong and Barnes.
“It has become clear that I will not be the Democratic nominee for Governor, so today I am stepping out of this race, but I am not stepping away from the work,” Crowley said in a statement.
Crowley’s name will still appear on the ballot for the August 11 primary, which means voters could technically still select him even though he’s no longer campaigning. That quirk won’t change the dynamics much, but it keeps his supporters’ options open on paper. For now, his active role will be to rally supporters behind a new choice within the Democratic field.
Financially, Crowley posted $789,281 in reported fundraising, which looked strong early but lagged far behind the Republican side where Tom Tiffany reported $2,122,489. Those numbers underline a bigger problem for Democrats in the state: even competitive primary candidates face a tough general election cash gap. Crowley’s decision to endorse Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez is aimed at consolidating support among Democrats wary of a more progressive nominee.
He becomes the second Democrat to pivot to Rodriguez after leaving the race, following Missy Hughes, who dropped out on June 22. Hughes praised Rodriguez’s background and public service in a statement that said, “Sara is someone who has chosen difficult missions, as a Peace Corps volunteer, an emergency room nurse, and a CDC intelligence officer.” That sort of résumé is meant to reassure nervous Democrats worried about electability in November.
“I deeply believe that Sara is the best candidate we can put forward to win in November,” Hughes added.
Party operatives have been openly discussing the danger of letting a progressive nominee carry the Democratic banner into the general election, particularly with Francesca Hong’s socialist label looming in critics’ rhetoric. That concern is practical: Democrats are debating who can win back swing voters while avoiding policy positions that could turn independents away. Rodriguez’s recent ad buy and the cascade of endorsements aim to present her as the unifying option.
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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