David Crowley Defeats Tom Tiffany to Become Wisconsin Governor

“This win belongs to Milwaukee, the city that raised me,” David Crowley told a cheering crowd Tuesday night, and the Associated Press had already called the race: Crowley, the 40-year-old Democratic Milwaukee County Executive, defeated Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany to become Wisconsin’s next governor, WUWM reported.

Crowley ran on lowering the cost of childcare, healthcare, and groceries for working families, and he won despite being outspent by Tiffany 2.5 to 1 at times. Hundreds of his supporters erupted in applause as he took the stage at his victory party at Landmark Credit Union Live in downtown Milwaukee, where he thanked his wife, Erika, and their three daughters before promising to serve voters who backed him and those who didn’t. “Now it’s time to get to work,” he said.

A Comeback Kid From Milwaukee

Alongside outgoing Gov. Tony Evers and legislative Republicans, Crowley helped negotiate a bipartisan bill allowing Milwaukee County to raise its sales tax and generate more revenue for local governments. Evers also credits him with a central role in a $500 million deal to upgrade American Family Field, home of the 2026 World Series-winning Milwaukee Brewers, with a guarantee keeping the team in Milwaukee through 2050.

Tom Tiffany concedes Wisconsin governor race to David Crowley

Crowley also leaned on powerful endorsements, including Evers and former President Barack Obama, and he narrowly survived a primary challenge from democratic socialist Francesca Hong by just half a percentage point in August. His general-election ads hammered Trump’s historic unpopularity and argued that Tiffany’s votes for the Trump agenda helped drive up gas and grocery prices. One ad declared: “Wisconsin’s not for sale, but Tom Tiffany is, and it’ll cost ya.”

Tiffany Concedes in a Blue Wave

Tiffany, the congressman from Minocqua, was endorsed by President Donald Trump and had voted for Trump’s policies repeatedly — a difficult posture in a midterm year that produced a groundswell for Democrats nationwide. Speaking to about 200 people in Wausau Tuesday night, he accepted the loss without surprise.

Wisconsin governor candidate Tom Tiffany concedes to David Crowley

“I mean you see $4 gasoline, high cost, stuff like that. I mean, it’s clear voters have said, ‘you’re the party in power, we’re gonna try something different,'” Tiffany said.

Before his concession, there was cautious optimism at his party, including among a group of College Republicans from UW-Madison. Courtney Graves, one of them, argued that Tiffany’s platform of cutting regulations and taxes was “the way to make Wisconsin an economic powerhouse again.” Three Wisconsin billionaires contributed millions to Tiffany’s campaign, which Crowley’s team used to paint him as beholden to wealthy donors.

History in the Making

Crowley will be Wisconsin’s first Black governor, and one of a handful of Black officials elected to statewide office in the state. He said the historic nature of the race never escaped him, but he insisted it wasn’t the point. “I’m running to be a governor for all of us,” he said. “And it doesn’t matter what zip codes you live in, who you love, or where you come from, I want to make sure that we can move our entire state forward.”

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley wins Wisconsin governor's race over Rep. Tom Tiffany

In a statement Tuesday night, Evers congratulated his successor and framed the win as proof of character rather than luck. “A few months ago, David becoming Wisconsin’s next governor might have seemed like a long shot,” Evers said. “But fight runs in David Crowley’s blood. He was born a Comeback Kid, and David’s grit is as Wisconsin as it gets.”

Crowley will be sworn in on Jan. 4, 2027.

WATCH: David Crowley Defeats Tom Tiffany to Become Wisconsin's First Black Governor | AC1W

“People say, ‘oh, Wisconsin isn’t ready to elect a Black governor, Wisconsin isn’t this. Wisconsin isn’t that.’ But we showed it tonight,” said Milwaukee voter and hip-hop artist Rayhainio Boynes, who attended Crowley’s party. “I think we need to stop perpetuating false narratives and start pushing more love and positivity and unity for the whole state of Wisconsin.”

Earlier coverage: David Crowley Elected as Wisconsin's First Black Governor