Democrat David Crowley Defeats Tom Tiffany in Wisconsin Governor Race

David Crowley won Wisconsin’s gubernatorial election Tuesday, defeating Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany in the race to succeed outgoing Gov. Tony Evers (D).

The Associated Press reported Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive and former state lawmaker, leading Tiffany, who has represented Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District since 2020, with 55 percent of the vote to Tiffany’s 45 percent. With an estimated 60 percent of votes counted, Crowley had received 947,436 votes compared with Tiffany’s 774,181. Crowley will become Wisconsin’s first black governor, succeeding Evers, who declined to seek a third term.

Crowley previously linked Milwaukee County’s reliance on revenue from beer gardens, golf courses, and marinas to racial inequity, writing in December 2021 that those activities were “traditionally and predominantly supported by white users.” “This racial inequity is born from a history of systemic racism & injustice,” he added. 

Crowley also previously recognized the anniversary of Milwaukee County’s declaration of racism as a public health crisis, writing in May that “at a time when disparities in housing access persist, I’m proud we are going out into the streets and tackling this crisis head-on.” He also faced criticism over his tax policies as county executive, signing an increase in the county sales tax from 0.5 percent to 0.9 percent. “David Crowley raised property taxes 5 out of 6 years. the one year he didn’t, he nearly doubled the sales tax,” Tiffany’s campaign wrote, adding that property taxes were up roughly $9 million and the county faced a projected $51 million deficit the following year.

During an August appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press NOW, Crowley defended his record on homelessness and overdose deaths while blaming former Republican Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker for the county’s financial challenges. “We’ve had to pick [up] every damn can that Republicans have kicked down the road,” Crowley said, accusing Walker of leaving a $400 million burden on property taxpayers. He also called Tiffany a “MAGA extremist.”

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