Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley completed an unlikely political comeback in Tuesday’s primary election, narrowly winning Wisconsin’s Democratic nomination for governor after Gov. Tony Evers gave him a late endorsement.

Crowley will face U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November, with President Donald Trump backing the Republican nominee.

The Associated Press declared Crowley the winner at 2:34 a.m. Wednesday, ending a race that remained unsettled deep into the night.

With 98% of the votes tallied, Crowley led Madison state Rep. Francesca Hong by less than half a percentage point — State Sen. Kelda Roys and former Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan trailed far behind with percentages in the single digits.

Crowley, who served two terms in the Assembly, often highlighted his experience as Milwaukee County executive as the key difference between himself and his primary opponents. He was elected to lead Wisconsin’s most populous county in 2020 and reelected in 2024. On the campaign trail, Crowley pointed to his ability to work with both Democrats and Republicans to help improve lives in Milwaukee County. He frequently highlighted the 2023 shared revenue law that helped Milwaukee County pay off debts from the pension scandal in the early 2000s.

Supporters cheer and raise campaign signs as results come in for the Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary election during David Crowley’s election night watch party at the Hyatt Regency on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 in Milwaukee. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley faced off against several other Democratic candidates, including Madison Rep. Francesca Hong, in Wisconsin’s gubernatorial primary. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

Crowley’s revived campaign drew criticism from people who saw his return to the race as efforts by establishment Democrats to stop more progressive candidates, like Hong. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who had been Hong’s closest competition in polls before he dropped out of the race in July, at the only televised debate called Crowley “revived by special interests.”

Crowley in recent campaign stops has dismissed the “establishment” label and pointed to his early years growing up in Milwaukee where his parents struggled with mental health issues and addiction and his family faced evictions.

The 2026 election for governor is an open seat after Evers chose not to run for a third term. It’s the first open governor’s race in the state since 2010 when Gov. Scott Walker ushered in a conservative era during which Republicans dismantled public sector unions, increased pension and health insurance contributions for public employees, cut taxes and enacted gerrymandered legislative maps.

Democrats are hoping to take control of the state Legislature for the first time in 16 years after flipping the state Supreme Court to a liberal majority and enacting bipartisan legislative maps. But even with a legislative majority, the ability to enact Democratic legislation would still run through the governor’s office.

Hong, a democratic socialist, led in the polls for months, and her primary victory seemed all but assured heading into Tuesday. But the close race mirrored a similar battle between establishment Democrats and left-wing activists in the Michigan U.S. Senate primary. Polls showed the left-wing candidate with a double-digit lead heading into last week’s primary, but he only won by 1 percentage point.

Democratic State Rep. Francesca Hong speaks on stage to supporters during her partisan primary watch party at Atwood Music Hall in Madison, Wis., on Aug. 11, 2026. (Jake Piper for Wisconsin Watch)

Hong had led the Democratic field in five Marquette University Law School polls ahead of the primary. Her rise as a front-runner in the race happened alongside significant democratic socialist candidate wins in states like New York and Colorado.

Hong, though, faced questions from some Democrats over whether she could win in November. Republicans in recent weeks also seized on Hong’s old social media posts on positions such as defunding the police, abolishing the U.S. Senate and canceling Thanksgiving. Hong spent time in national news interviews during the final week of the primary attempting to walk back those past comments.

A political comeback

Crowley’s strong showing marks a stunning turnaround for a candidate who polled in single digits before he dropped out of the race in early July. Even in the final Marquette Law School Poll before the election, he only mustered 7% support to 38% for Hong, though 34% were undecided.

Crowley initially ended his campaign after he said he saw both poll and fundraising numbers show momentum for Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez.

But then Rodriguez dropped out of the race after revelations of issues with her campaign finance reports, which led Crowley to return to the race with a historically rare endorsement from Evers. In the final week of the primary, the two-term governor joined Crowley on the campaign trail to champion Crowley as his successor.

At the Atwood Music Hall in Madison on Tuesday night, Hong’s supporters waited for the results as the loudspeakers pumped in Stevie Wonder, Spice Girls and Chappell Roan. One Hong staffer estimated that a couple hundred people were in attendance, but didn’t have an official number. Reporters and TV cameras packed the balcony.

Supporters cheer as Madison Rep. Francesca Hong takes a short-lived lead over Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor during Hong’s election night watch party at Atwood Music Hall in Madison, Wis. on Aug. 11, 2026. (Jake Piper for Wisconsin Watch)

Supporters of Madison Rep. Francesca Hong leave her election night watch party at Atwood Music Hall in Madison at 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 11, 2026, with the Democratic primary for governor still too close to call. (Jake Piper for Wisconsin Watch)

Luca Farmer, a 21-year-old Madison resident, cheered and waved a poster reading “Hotties 4 Hong” as CNN results showed the state representative pulling closer to Crowley around 10 p.m. Tuesday.

Farmer said he had been following the race since Evers chose not to run for reelection last year. He said he voted for Hong because she is “policy first.”

But Farmer said he did not anticipate Hong and Crowley were going to be as close as they were Tuesday night.

Luca Farmer and Elizabeth Dilworth embrace during Madison Rep. Francesca Hong’s election night watch party on Aug. 11, 2026, at Atwood Music Hall in Madison, Wis. (Jake Piper for Wisconsin Watch)

“My heart is palpitating,” he said. “I did not think it was going to be this close. I was very confident, but I am still confident that we will win.”

Around 11:20 p.m., Hong walked onstage to address and thank supporters, who erupted in cheers. She acknowledged that the results were not final, but “the fight continues no matter what.”

“In 11 weeks, no matter who’s on the ballot, y’all, we are going to fight to win for one another,” Hong said as the crowd started a chant of “we will win.”

“We will win together, united, because everyone who’s running in this race, they know that we can make better possible, and we must make better possible.”

At the Hyatt Regency in downtown Milwaukee, at least 250 people were spread among two ballrooms and a reception area. Chatter was loud but, as of 11 p.m., few cheers went up — the vote totals simply remained too tight.

A woman with her hand over her mouth, surrounded by people with Crowley signs — Anna Wilson watches results come in in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor during Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley’s election night watch party at the Hyatt Regency on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

Early in the evening, Noel Morales, a 21-year-old Crowley supporter from suburban Milwaukee, expressed confidence about Crowley’s chances. But he worried whether young Hong supporters would back Crowley if Crowley wins the nomination because Crowley has been cast as an establishment Democrat.

It’s a very big “it depends” on whether Democrats can find unity, he said.

A person wearing a dark cap looks at a phone near a stage with a large sign reading "DAVID CROWLEY FOR WISCONSIN" and a podium. — Noel Morales watches the Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary results come in during David Crowley’s election night watch party at the Hyatt Regency on Aug. 11, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

The first sustained cheer at the Crowley gathering went up about 11:15 p.m. when a TV station went live from the party. Minutes later, the party went mostly quiet to listen to remarks made by Hong at her gathering. At that point, Crowley had yet to appear before his supporters.

At midnight, Milwaukee election officials said “human error” would delay ballot counting. At the Crowley party, just as supporters appeared ready to claim victory, the news was deflating.

“I’m at a loss for words,” said Crowley supporter Angela Hinton of the Milwaukee suburb of Glendale. “With the votes so close, we were on pins and needles. Now this.”

U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore told the gathering just after midnight that results were 90 minutes away. “It looks very good, but we have to wait,” she said.

A woman in front of Crowley podium — U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore talks to attendees while awaiting results in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor during Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley’s election night watch party at the Hyatt Regency on Aug. 11, 2026, in Milwaukee. (Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLig

Other results

In other primary results Tuesday, Rebecca Cooke won the Democratic nomination in the 3rd Congressional District for a rematch with Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden. The seat is rated a toss-up and one of two that national Democrats are hoping to flip to retake control of the House.

In the other, the 1st Congressional District in southeast Wisconsin, Mitchell Berman won the Democratic nomination to take on U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil.

Michael Alfonso, the son-in-law of U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, won the Republican nomination in the 7th Congressional District in northern Wisconsin. The Democratic nomination was too close to call, though the seat being vacated by Tiffany leans Republican.

A person in an orange shirt is seen in front of a lawn with large red and white letters reading "BADGERS VOTE" in front of a building. — A “Badgers vote” message is seen on Bascom Hill on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus in Madison, Wis., on Aug. 11, 2026. (Jake Piper for Wisconsin Watch)

Nic Cravillion, a staffer for Sen. André Jacque, R-New Franken, won the Republican nomination for the 1st Senate District to replace Jacque after his two terms in the Senate.

Rep. Jenna Jacobson, D-Oregon, won the Democratic nomination in the 17th Senate District to challenge Sen. Howard Marklein in November. Jacobson is supported by the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee, which sees this district as a potential flip opportunity.

Case manager Ismael Luna beat incumbent Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez, D-Milwaukee, by a large margin for the Democratic nomination in the 8th Assembly District. Ortiz-Velez had left the Democratic caucus last year after making a gun-related threat to a fellow Democrat.

In the 21st Assembly District, Oak Creek Mayor Dan Bukiewicz won the Democratic nomination and will now face Republican Carroll University student Dylan Pfaffenbach in the general election. The winner will replace Rep. Jessie Rodriguez, R-Oak Creek, who won by a narrow margin in 2024.

Former Sheboygan Ald. John Belanger won the Republican nomination in the 26th Assembly District and will face Rep. Joe Sheehan, D-Sheboygan.

In the 76th Assembly District, Hong’s district, Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford, a former Madison City Council member, won the nomination. She will face Republican Nina Chat in the general election in the solid Democratic district. If elected Martinez-Rutherford would be the first transgender person elected to the Assembly.

Originally published by Wisconsin Watch.

Audrey Lopez StaneArticles

David Crowley caps unlikely comeback with win in Wisconsin Democratic primary for governor

Audrey Lopez StaneArticles

David Crowley caps unlikely comeback with win in Wisconsin Democratic primary for governor