David Crowley reenters battleground Wisconsin's Democratic governor primary with Gov. Evers' backing

By — Meg Kinnard, Associated Press Meg Kinnard, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/david-crowley-reenters-battleground-wisconsins-democratic-governor-primary-with-gov-evers-backing Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter David Crowley reenters battleground Wisconsin's Democratic governor primary with Gov. Evers' backing Politics Jul 18, 2026 2:17 PM EDT Two weeks after shuttering his bid for Wisconsin governor, David Crowley reentered the state's Democratic primary on Saturday, with the Milwaukee County executive boasting a last-minute backing from outgoing Gov. Tony Evers in a seeming move to best position the party for success in November. Evers had initially declined to endorse in the race, but threw his weight behind Crowley and resuscitated his bid to lead the swing state known for razor-thin election margins, where appealing to moderate and independent voters is crucial. It was the latest turn in a chaotic Democratic primary that has jeopardized the party's chances this fall and comes after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez said she was abandoning her campaign for the state's top office after a campaign finance scandal. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Democrats are looking to November to secure full control of Wisconsin state government for the first time since 2010, and hope it will send a signal about where the country's politics are headed by shaping a key political battleground that helps decide presidential campaigns. In an event in Milwaukee Saturday relaunching his campaign, Crowley referenced the stakes, saying that "winning this election will require building the broadest possible coalition," and touting his ability to forge relationships across partisan divides. And Evers' endorsement, he went on, "reflects his confidence that I have the experience" to lead and to win. Evers was on a trade visit to Africa and not in attendance at Crowley's Saturday event but acknowledged in a social media post that he was now "all in" for Crowley, touting his executive leadership on issues including job creation and balancing budgets. "He's not just a candidate who can win in November, but he's the kind of person who cares about doing the job right," Evers wrote. Crowley, 40, is reemerging into a competitive primary for Wisconsin's open governor's race that was turned on its head Friday with the departure of Rodriguez, who earlier in the week fired her campaign manager after discovering her campaign had hundreds of thousands of dollars less on hand than expected. READ MORE: Democratic socialist Francesca Hong tests how far left voters will go in battleground Wisconsin Now, as they approach Wisconsin's primary election on Aug. 11, Democrats are hoping to hold onto the governor's office as they also eye flipping majority control of the state Legislature, which Republicans have he