Tony Evers is spending the final week of Wisconsin’s Democratic governor primary trying to turn his endorsement of David Crowley into a rescue mission, appearing with the Milwaukee County executive Monday in Appleton. The push comes with Francesca Hong still leading the Democratic field and next Tuesday’s vote rapidly approaching.
At the Appleton stop, Evers said “Wisconsin comes first” and argued that Crowley’s governing experience gives him an advantage over candidates whose résumés are less tested, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Evers has also said he wants Wisconsin left in good hands when he steps away after two terms, making the Crowley campaign a central piece of his political legacy.
The Democratic contest has endured enough whiplash to make a campaign consultant reach for Dramamine. The Associated Press reported that Crowley dropped out earlier this summer, returned after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez left the race, and then watched former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes withdraw Thursday; the reversal rewrites the ending of Crowley’s earlier exit. Four Democrats now remain: Crowley, Hong, Joel Brennan and Kelda Roys.
Hong’s Lead Leaves Crowley Chasing A Moving Target
The latest Marquette Law School Poll gives Hong 38% support among Democratic primary voters, compared with 7% for Crowley, 2% for Brennan and 2% for Roys. The survey was conducted before Barnes ended his campaign, and 34% of voters were still undecided, according to the Marquette Law School Poll.
That creates both an opening and a problem for Crowley. The pool of undecided voters is large enough to change the race, but the poll also shows how much ground he must cover in a few days while persuading voters who had backed candidates who are no longer running.
Evers Is Betting Experience Can Beat Hong’s Momentum
Evers’ case for Crowley is built around executive experience, coalition-building and electability, rather than a sharp ideological contrast with Hong. The governor has said Hong would probably struggle to defeat Republican nominee Tom Tiffany, while Crowley has presented himself as the Democrat best positioned to unite moderates, independents and the party’s established networks, the Journal Sentinel reported.
That argument has fueled a broader fight over who gets to decide the party’s nominee. Wisconsin Watch described Hong’s rise as a test of whether a democratic socialist can win statewide in a battleground state, while Crowley has portrayed his return as a defense against Republicans trying to shape the Democratic primary from the outside.
PBS Wisconsin’s political analysis suggested Evers was using his remaining political capital to turn a fractured primary into a two-person contest against Hong. That is a tall order with only days left, especially after Barnes’ departure potentially frees up another bloc of voters without guaranteeing that they will move toward Crowley.
Next Tuesday’s Vote Will Decide The Democratic Challenger
The Democratic nominee will advance to face Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November, according to WISN 12. For Evers and Crowley, the final campaign stops are now less about introducing a new candidate than convincing voters that experience and electability matter more than Hong’s momentum.
Whether that message can overcome Hong’s polling lead will be settled by Wisconsin voters next Tuesday. Until then, Evers is doing what outgoing governors usually try to avoid: getting very personally involved in choosing who comes next.
