David Crowley is celebrating after winning Wisconsin’s Democratic primary. Now, he’s one step closer to becoming the state’s first Black governor – and potentially one of three Black Democrats to win governors’ races in presidential battleground states this fall.
Crowley joins two other Black Democratic nominees running for governor in battleground states this fall, alongside Georgia’s Keisha Lance Bottoms and Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford.
Only three Black Americans have ever been elected governor in the country’s 250-year history, and currently, just one is sitting in office: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.
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According to Ofirah Yheskel, director of external affairs for the Democratic Governors Association, the country is on the brink of doing the unthinkable.
“We have a real shot to do it with these three candidates,” Yheskel told The Root. “And we look forward to making history this year.”
The potential history is especially striking because all three candidates are running in states that could play an outsized role in the 2028 presidential election.
But Crowley has a difficult road ahead.
His primary victory was narrow. He defeated state Rep. Francesca Hong after a campaign that saw him leave the race and later return, ultimately securing Gov. Tony Evers’ endorsement. He now faces Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Trump ally, in a state where Democrats will have to build a broad coalition to win statewide.
While all three Black Democratic nominees have the potential to make history, Yheskel said each candidate brings something to the table for American voters that truly matters – a plan to address everyday issues like cost of living and inflation.
“[What] we’re hearing from people in the states is that the economy is the number one issue on their minds,” she said, stressing that for any candidate to win, they’d have to put up a two-front battle. “How are you talking about how you’re going to focus on the issues that are really impacting people, but also how are you going to stand up for them on their fundamental freedoms?”
As we previously told you, Americans, particularly Black folks, continue to feel the heavy weight of the economy under President Donald Trump. That’s why, for Yheskel, the three gubernatorial races are part of a broader fight over the role of Democratic governors under Trump.
“We’ve seen that Democratic governors really are the backstop against a lot of the dysfunction and chaos of the Trump administration,” Yheskel said. “Governors really do have a lot of power as executives to push back against that.”
That could shape Crowley’s general-election strategy. Democrats are expected to emphasize the cost of living, while also drawing a contrast with Republicans on issues including voting rights and other fundamental freedoms.
There is the immediate question of whether he can win the Wisconsin governor’s mansion. Then there is the larger question of what his victory – along with potential wins by Ford and Bottoms – would mean for Black political representation.
In the meantime, Maryland Gov. Moore is holding down the fort. And in less than 85 days, he might not have to be the only Black Democrat doing so.
Yheskel continued, “He’s really on the campaign trail, showing up for folks and making sure that he’s not the only one in the country.”
