David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive who won Wisconsin's Democratic gubernatorial primary earlier this month, is facing renewed scrutiny over his policy record after being cast as the more moderate alternative to progressive challenger Francesca Hong.
Crowley defeated Hong in the August primary despite sharing several significant policy positions with her campaign. Both candidates backed higher taxes on millionaires, a $20 minimum wage, expanded union rights and universal child care. On climate policy, both have set carbon-neutrality goals for 2050.
What the Right Is Saying
Republican critics have seized on Crowley's record in Milwaukee County to challenge his moderate branding. Wisconsin Republican consultant Mark Bednar told Fox News Digital that residents under Crowley experienced their largest property tax hike in 15 years, paid higher sales taxes and saw millions of dollars allocated to climate initiatives.
'In an era where voters are increasingly focused on the economy and their pocketbooks, Wisconsinites should ask themselves, do they really want to expand Crowley's gross mismanagement and liberal priorities to the whole state?' Bednar said. Republicans have also noted that Crowley expanded Milwaukee County's equity bureaucracy, transforming the Office on African American Affairs into a broader Office of Equity covering additional communities.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive groups and some Democratic analysts have pointed to Crowley's primary victory as evidence that mainstream Democratic candidates can compete in statewide races by emphasizing practical governance over far-left positions. CBS News described Crowley as a 'moderate Democrat' following his primary win, while Axios framed his upset as a potential revival for the party's center-left.
In a campaign advertisement, Crowley highlighted a record of 'getting things done' and 'practical bipartisan solutions.' Wisconsin Public Radio characterized him during the primary as a 'mainstream Democratic alternative' to Hong. Crowley's supporters argue that his racial equity budgeting tools represent modern governance approaches rather than ideological stances.
What the Numbers Show
Milwaukee County implemented its Racial Equity Budget Tool (REBT) under Crowley's administration, described as a structured racial equity lens for departments to assess how budget decisions affect communities of color. The county's 2024 budget document states: 'Racism is a public health crisis in Milwaukee County.'
Crowley signed Milwaukee County's Climate Action 2050 plan in April 2025, seeking net-zero carbon emissions for county government operations by 2050—the same target year Hong proposed for statewide carbon neutrality. The county also passed a resolution calling on Wisconsin's attorney general to sue fossil fuel companies over environmental damages.
The Bottom Line
Crowley's November matchup against the Republican nominee will test whether Wisconsin voters view his Milwaukee County record as sound governance or fiscal overreach. His campaign did not respond to requests for comment. Watch for whether Republicans continue to highlight property tax increases and climate spending, while Democrats emphasize equity initiatives and bipartisan messaging. Crowley himself acknowledged during the primary that there was policy overlap with Hong, telling supporters 'there's many things that everybody agrees on.'