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David Crowley will endorse Sara Rodriguez in Wisconsin governor’s race
Jul 8, 2026, 5:52 PM CT
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After dropping out of the race for Wisconsin governor, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley will be backing Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez in the race.
Crowley announced earlier on July 8 that he would be stepping aside after not receiving enough support despite leading in fundraising in January.
The official endorsement announcement and event will happen on July 9. Rodriguez’s campaign didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on July 8.
The endorsement will come as a surprise to some specifically in Black Milwaukee as there remains one Black candidate in the race, Mandela Barnes, who is literally from the same ZIP code as Crowley.
“As my County Executive and fellow Milwaukeean born and raised in the 53206 zip code, I have all the respect in the world for (Crowley) and the race he ran,” Barnes said in a statement.
“David has a life experience that is far too often missing from our politics. And that life experience has driven him to deliver real results for Milwaukee County families.
“I hope all those inspired by David’s campaign can find a place in our movement to end the rigged system that’s holding back Wisconsin families.
“It’s time for us all to come together to beat Tom Tiffany.”
Despite little name recognition statewide, Crowley’s polling showed he had significant support in Milwaukee among Black voters, who now must find a new candidate.
After Crowley dropped out, there remained five candidates in the race: Francesca Hong, Barnes, Rodriguez, Joel Brennan and Kelda Roys. Some polling suggests that Hong is leading the field, with Barnes close behind and Rodriguez gaining momentum from third.
Barnes has been on the offensive against Rodriguez, who accepted tens of thousands of corporate PAC money from We Energies after voting for a utility company tax loophole.
“During her time in the state legislature, Sara Rodriguez was the third most conservative Democrat according to the American Conservative Union,” Barnes said in a news release earlier this week.
Rodriguez’s campaign told the Milwaukee Courier on June 22 that she has not accepted any corporate PAC money, including from utility companies, in her run for governor. She added she voted for the bill because it eliminated a personal property tax.
But at a town hall meeting on June 23, she incorrectly stated that Gov. Tony Evers signed the bill. He did not. He vetoed the bill in its entirety.
Drake Bentley is an award-winning investigative journalist who has worked for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin State Journal, Newsweek, Heavy and The Sporting News. He is a northside Milwaukee native, former political staffer and graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the University of Nebraska.
