Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley Is Running for Governor: From Both Sides (Part 2 of 2)
David Crowley has been Milwaukee County’s county executive for the past five year
by Jonathan Gramling
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, a Democratic candidate for Wisconsin Governor, has seen life from several sides. Spending part of his life growing up in the 53206 zip code, Crowley has come from the streets to the decision-making table.
And as a county executive, through statewide coalitions, Crowley has been on the front lines in the fight to ensure that local units of government have the funding they need to adequately serve their residents.
“I led the coalition to make sure that Madison returned more money back to every local community across this state no matter how big or small those municipalities were so that they could invest in what matters,” Crowley said. “And that gave folks a way to invest in fire, police, housing and transportation. It didn’t solve all of our problems. But I think that now that we were able to build that coalition, this is the opportunity for us to have that political will throughout the state legislature to do right by all municipalities across Wisconsin.”
When there is inadequate revenue sharing, it tends to create and widen disparities across the state.
“When people go to referendum, it creates disparities,” Crowley said. “That’s what we really have to eliminate, the disparities that we are seeing. And we’re seeing disparities based on geographical location, based on race, based on economics, based on education. It’s about how do we put everyone in the best place possible to make sure that they no longer have to survive, but they can thrive wherever they want.”
Affordable health insurance and healthcare are becoming out of the reach of many Wisconsinites. And with recent moves by the federal government, it will get worse.
“I’m in limbo right now,” Crowley said about his health insurance. “We have United Healthcare within Milwaukee County. And my doctor is an Ascension doctor. Right now, they do not have a contract. And so for me to continue the relationship that I had with my doctor, that means I have to come out of pocket. As a person who is running for office, I understand that this affects me too. And so making sure that not only I continue to have coverage and be able to see the doctor I want to see, we have folks all across this state who are going to have to make some tough decisions on whether or not they are going to be able to go to the doctor or who their doctor is going to be, especially when we know that many of the rural clinics are going to be closing down. We have to get our healthcare costs under control in both the public and the private sectors to make sure that we can all live healthier lives.”
While much is made of the urban/rural divide in Wisconsin, Crowley feels that there are common problems that all Wisconsinites face, that the divide is more a part of political rhetoric than reality.
“There is a level of density that happens in the urban areas that isn’t happening in rural areas,” Crowley admitted. “But the issues are still the same. We’re still struggling to figure out how we are going to put food on the table. Many of these same communities have food deserts where you can’t get access to fresh produce or be able to go grocery shopping in the way that you want to. We’re still struggling to make sure that our public school systems are fully funded.”
And Crowley believes that governors are on the frontlines to combat the divisiveness of what is occurring in national politics.
“Governors are on the front lines when it comes to standing up against the tyranny that we are seeing in Washington, D.C.,” Crowley said. “It’s going to be governors who are going to make sure that we are making the incredible investments to make sure that when the tide rises, all the boats rise and no one falls into this deep sea of political BS that we are hearing every single day. We’re not going to get caught up with what some politicians do to stay in power and that’s focusing on division. That’s focusing on distraction. And right now, that isn’t doing anything for our country. It’s not putting more money in anyone’s pockets. It’s not building more homes. It’s not getting people more access to healthcare. And it’s definitely not putting America in the best light when it comes to our peers all across the globe. We need to make sure that we are locking arms, focusing on the issues so that we can focus on out state’s motto and that is Forward.”
For Crowley, campaigns are about more than getting someone elected. They are about community organizing around issues that will result in political coalitions that will effectively implement policies on a statewide level.
“This is a great opportunity for us as a state to be a prime example as far as we can show the rest of the country can do when it comes down to Democrats,” Crowley said. “It’s not just about winning this governor’s race. How do we couple that with flipping the state senate, flipping the state assembly and really pushing policies that are going to benefit everyone? I truly believe that when the tide rises, all of the boats have to rise. And you do that in partnership. I know there isn’t a one-size fits all solution to the challenges that we see all across our state. How do we make sure that we right-size these solutions and bring those communities to be at the table to figure out what works in their community. As Democrats, we need to make sure that we are talking with everyone and anyone because of the level of frustration that we are seeing because of the national political parties. We need to show that we can move forward and create a vision that everyone can be a part of come November 2026 here in the state of Wisconsin.”
Crowley recognizes that there will be a lot of outside money flooding the state next year. But Crowley recognizes that it takes more than money to win elections.
“You can’t control what outside groups do,” Crowley emphasized. “And it is unfortunate that we see the amount of money being spent on elections, not just here in the state of Wisconsin, but all across this country. The fact that we have seen two years in a row, a supreme court justice spending hitting record amounts. We could be solving a lot of the problems that we are talking about right now with those types of dollars. But we are going to be focused on a grassroots campaign, talking to folks all across this state, getting people to be a part of this campaign, whether they are giving their time, talent or treasure. That’s what we are going to focus on.”
And while Crowley knows how important funding for his campaign is, he also knows that it can’t buy you love. Wisconsinites don’t kowtow to the highest bidder.
“We’re smart people,” Crowley said. “And we pay attention to seeing how folks are trying to influence the vote, which way and every way possible. In the state of Wisconsin, we like to do our own research. We know the candidates who are out there. And we want someone whom we can trust and is open and honest. And we may not always agree on the vehicle that we are trying to reach our goals. But as long as we are all at the table, we know that we can go in the same direction. That’s what Wisconsinites want. We don’t like to have outsiders come and put their thumb on the scale and tell us what is best for us. We live in these communities. We know these communities best. So let us work together to make it better.”
Crowley is hoping to show support through the first campaign finance report that will come out in the beginning of January.
“The biggest report card for candidates is always going to be that first financial report,” Crowley said. “And we’re going to focus on not only getting as much groundswell of support from folks here in the state of Wisconsin, but making sure that we have the number of volunteers that it is going to take to ensure that our message is spreading.”
David Crowley is working hard criss-crossing the state before that December 31st deadline as he works to create a campaign for all of Wisconsin. He is working to create a better Wisconsin for everyone.
