David Crowley delivers his victory speech after narrowly defeating Francesca Hong in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary. Crowley spoke of “gratitude, humility and hope” as he accepted the Democratic nomination to become Wisconsin’s next governor. Watch his full victory remarks and reaction after the closely watched primary contest.
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#DavidCrowley #Wisconsin #WisconsinPrimary #WisconsinGovernor #DemocraticPrimary #FrancescaHong #Election2026 #WisconsinPolitics #VictorySpeech #USPolitics
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NewsTranscript
00:01Wow. Um, good morning.
00:03Good morning.
00:04You know, I always say that every day is a good day.
00:07In Wisconsin, it is a very good day.
00:10Um, we are joined right here at the Sherman Phoenix,
00:14a community symbol of rising from the ashes,
00:17rebuilding with vision, and fostering a brighter future.
00:21Today, I stand before the people of Wisconsin
00:24after we rose from the ashes.
00:25After we rebuilt this campaign with purpose
00:29and after people of Wisconsin decided that the bright future
00:33that working Wisconsin families deserve is worth fighting for.
00:38Today, I stand before you filled with gratitude,
00:41with humility, and hope as I formally accept
00:45the Democratic nomination to be the next governor
00:47of the great state of Wisconsin.
00:53Now this victory belongs to so many people.
00:56It belongs to every volunteer who knocked doors in the heat,
01:00who made phone calls late into the evening,
01:02who sent text messages and hosted neighborhood gatherings.
01:06It belongs to every supporter who contributed what they could,
01:09who shared our message, and inspired others to get involved.
01:13It belongs to every Wisconsinite who believed that their voice
01:17could make a difference.
01:19I want to thank Governor Tony Evers for his friendship,
01:22his leadership, and his belief that Wisconsin works best
01:26when working people come together to solve problems.
01:30Most importantly, I want to thank my wife, Erica,
01:33my better three-quarters, and the A Squad.
01:37None of this would be possible without your love, your patience,
01:41your sacrifices, and your faith.
01:44Public service asks a great deal of the people closest to us,
01:48and I will never take that for granted.
01:51Today is also a time to recognize everyone who participated in this primary.
01:57Democracy is stronger when people step forward to serve their families,
02:00their communities, and engage in spirited debate about how best to do that.
02:06To Kelda and Joe and every candidate who shared their vision for Wisconsin, thank you.
02:13They challenged all of us to think bigger about what our state can become.
02:17And I especially want to thank Representative Francesca Hall.
02:22Her campaign reminded people across Wisconsin that there are no long shots
02:27when it comes to believing in a better future and fighting to expand opportunities to every family.
02:33That kind of passion, it strengthens our democracy.
02:36And I look forward to earning their support in everyone who participated in this campaign as we move forward together.
02:43Over the past few months, you've heard a lot of people try to define this election as a battle between
02:50the left and the center,
02:51between progressives and the establishment, between insiders and outsiders.
02:57That narrative misses the entire point of what we're doing.
03:01Because when I traveled across Wisconsin, I didn't meet people who introduced themselves that way.
03:07I met parents wondering how they'll afford childcare.
03:12I met workers who want wages that keep up with the cost of living.
03:17I met farmers trying to preserve family traditions.
03:20I met small business owners trying to keep their doors open.
03:23And I met seniors who deserve security and dignity after a lifetime of work.
03:29I met young people who simply want a fair chance to build a life right here in this great state
03:35we call Wisconsin.
03:37We may not agree on every policy.
03:39We may not use the same labels.
03:42But we all want safe communities, strong schools, affordable healthcare, good paying jobs, and a brighter future for all of
03:50our children.
03:51And every one of us has something much bigger to unite around.
03:57And that is keeping MAGA extremism from bringing the chaos we see in Washington into our neighborhoods right here in
04:04the state of Wisconsin.
04:05From the very first day that I announced this campaign, I said the real threat wasn't any of my primary
04:11opponents.
04:12The real opponent has always been Tom Tiffany.
04:16That remains true today.
04:19Tom Tiffany stood with those who tried to overturn a free and fair presidential election instead of defending our democracy.
04:28He's worked in lockstep with Donald Trump to slash programs that Wisconsin families depend on, including SNAP and healthcare for
04:35our children, our seniors, and veterans, and working families.
04:38He backed harmful, costly policies like the war in Iran, while too many families right here, right at home, are
04:46struggling to make ends meet.
04:49He spends his time fueling culture wars because sowing division is much easier than delivering results.
04:56Wisconsin, we deserve better than politicians who divide us for their own political gain.
05:03We deserve leaders who wake up every single morning asking one simple question.
05:08How can I make life better for the people we serve?
05:14That's what this campaign has always been about.
05:16It's about affordability, making it easier to buy a home, lowering everyday costs, making childcare more affordable and available, growing
05:27an economy where hard work actually pays off.
05:31It's about care, making healthcare more affordable and accessible, supporting our caregivers, investing in mental health services, standing up for
05:42our veterans, our seniors,
05:43and every Wisconsinite who deserves dignity.
05:47It's about opportunity, creating the jobs of tomorrow, preparing students for careers that don't even exist yet.
05:56It's about supporting apprenticeships, technical education, higher education and lifelong learning, building an economy where success isn't determined by your
06:06zip code or your last name.
06:10So let me say this clearly.
06:12This election is not about insiders versus outsiders.
06:17It's not about the establishment versus progressives.
06:22It's about building something bigger than any one campaign.
06:26It's about building a movement, y'all.
06:28A movement that reaches every corner of Wisconsin.
06:32Urban neighborhoods and rural communities.
06:35Small towns and growing suburbs.
06:37Factory floors and family farms.
06:41Northwood communities and Lakeshore cities.
06:44A movement that believes the jobs of the future should be created right here in the state of Wisconsin.
06:50A movement that believes the Zerkers deserve respect, fair wages, and the freedom to organize.
06:56A movement that believes every Wisconsin family deserves the resources to thrive.
07:01A movement that believes every child deserves a world-class education in a fully funded public school with outstanding teachers
07:10in modern classrooms and every opportunity to succeed no matter where they live in this state.
07:16A movement that believes women, not politicians, should make their own health care decisions.
07:23A movement that believes protecting our land, our water, our environment is not just about today, but about a Wisconsin
07:31that we lead for the next generation of leaders.
07:34Now that this primary has come to a close, allow me to reintroduce myself.
07:45My name is David Crowley.
07:48I am a son of Milwaukee.
07:50I'm a community organizer by heart who has just happened to find himself in the halls of the State Capitol
07:57building at the head of Milwaukee County government for the last six years.
08:02My role to this moment wasn't perfect.
08:05It was hallmarked by childhood eviction, family addiction, and mental health struggles, and some very dark days where I didn't
08:13even know where I'm going to lay my head down that night.
08:16I know what it means to face hardship because I've lived it.
08:20I know what it's like to rely on public schools, to depend on opportunity, and to believe that if people
08:27invest in you, your future can improve and it absolutely can change.
08:32I've experienced setbacks.
08:35I've made mistakes.
08:37But I've also experienced the power of second chances, the strength of community, and the importance of leaders who never
08:46give up on people.
08:48Those experiences, it has shaped who I am today.
08:52They taught me that our government works best when we open doors for everyone instead of closing them.
08:58That leadership is measured by results, not rhetoric.
09:02And that every child deserves the same chance to succeed regardless of where they were born or what neighborhood they
09:08grew up in.
09:08That's why I've dedicated my life to public service, not public office.
09:15Because what we do isn't just about winning elections.
09:19It's about improving the lives of our neighbors.
09:23Because we know the most patriotic thing that we can do as Wisconsinites and as Americans is to see those
09:31who disagree with us as human beings, deserving the same rights and the same opportunities as everyone else.
09:38Instead of fearing those we cannot understand and letting that fear divide us, patriotism is doing the work to see
09:46the humanity in all of our neighbors.
09:48It is our work that puts our future generations first and prioritizes progress for all of us.
09:54So today, today begins a new chapter.
09:58Today, we get back to work.
10:02We'll knock on more doors.
10:04We'll have more conversations.
10:06We'll welcome Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and every Wisconsinite who believes in democracy, who believes in opportunity in moving our entire
10:16state forward.
10:17Together, we will build the broad coalition that this moment absolutely demands.
10:23Together, we will reject division.
10:26Together, we will reject extremism.
10:29Together, we will make history and write the next chapter of Wisconsin's story.
10:34One built on opportunity, compassion, hard work, and hope.
10:40And together, we will defeat Tom Tiffany.
10:46Thank you so much.
10:48Thank you so much.
10:50Thank you so much.
10:51Thank you to the people who knocked on doors.
10:54Thank you to every single corner of this great state.
10:57Because Wisconsin, we got work to do.
11:00God bless you all, and thank you for being here.
11:03God bless you.
11:04God bless you.
11:07We have time for a few questions.
11:10Could you talk about how you'll reach out to progressives without losing Margaret Court?
11:15Look, right now, our job, as we always said, come August 12th, was making sure that everybody had a seat
11:21at the table.
11:22So many people have felt like they've been on the menu because nobody has asked them to lend their voices
11:27to the solutions.
11:28And so I'm looking forward to working with every single candidate in all walks of life, no matter where you
11:35fall on the political spectrum,
11:36to make sure that we can defeat the MAGA extremists and Congressman Tom Tiffany this upcoming November.
11:45Good morning.
11:46Good morning.
12:06All the boats right.
12:07We're going to be making decisions to make sure that hardworking families across this state have more opportunities to thrive
12:14and not just survive.
12:25And again, I mean, this historic moment is not lost on me.
12:30But I'm not even thinking about that because we still got work to do.
12:33You know, the job is not done. The job is not finished.
12:36And so my job is not to become the first.
12:40And if I do become the first, my job is to make sure that I'm not the last
12:43and provide more opportunities for young men and women all across this state.
12:49From July 8th to July 18th, there was a crazy 10 days of review.
12:53What changed in your mindset about the state of the race for you to come back in?
12:56I mean, what does it also say about polls that didn't predict that this would be this type of race?
13:03You know, making the decision to suspend the campaign and come back in,
13:06both of those decisions was very difficult.
13:08But at the end of the day, we understood, not just my family, but this community,
13:12everybody across this state, the states were too hot.
13:15And right now, the states are still incredibly hot.
13:18No one, we can't afford anybody to sit on the sidelines when it comes down to this election.
13:22And so there's a lot of ups and downs that comes with campaigning.
13:26You know, whether you're running, you know, for city council or county board supervisor seats or governor.
13:32And I will tell you, ever since we have relaunched this campaign,
13:35I have not necessarily felt the lows because I felt the energy of communities all across this state
13:41as we were barnstorming, you know, community after community with Governor Evers.
13:45And so right now, my job is to make sure that we continue to capture this energy that we have
13:52seen,
13:53continue this momentum moving forward, building the broadest coalition
13:56to make sure that we prevail in November, keep the governor's seat blue,
14:01and make sure that we're electing Democrats up and down the ballot in November.
14:05Do you expect the other Democratic candidates, including Francesco,
14:09not coming together and supporting the campaign?
14:12Absolutely.
14:12We're going to be getting together relatively soon to actually start our unity tour.
14:17We're going to be getting together and saying that you admitted there were any
14:24policy difference between yourself and socialists.
14:27Are we going to embrace that message or are we going to try and do not that?
14:32What was the American perspective now being in that relationship
14:35that was said in terms of what we're going to do?
14:39Listen, we don't, I don't, me and Francesca Hong, we don't agree on everything.
14:43And if Congress, if the Congresswoman understood that he doesn't necessarily agree on everything,
14:47but you also come to the table to figure out how you build a winning coalition
14:51in order to make sure you're delivering for those that you represent.
14:54This campaign is not built on distractions and division as he wants to continue to focus on.
14:59And the biggest difference between me and the Congressman is that I'm loyal to the people of Wisconsin.
15:04I am not loyal to MAGA.
15:05And so I'm going to be focusing on delivering for the hardworking families here in the state of Wisconsin.
15:11That's how we're going to win in November.
15:12Last question.
15:24I will tell you, it's not that easy.
15:27But, you know, being an executive, the one thing that you realize is that you have to make sure that
15:31you hire great staff.
15:32And we're going to make sure that we're constantly in communications, doing what we need to do on the campaign
15:37trail
15:37while also taking care of my responsibilities as the Milwaukee County executive.
15:40But right now, for the next 80-plus days, we're going to be focusing on coalescing Democrats, independents, Republicans,
15:48and those who are afraid of having a MAGA extremist occupying our governorship.
15:53Our job is to make sure that we deliver for the state of Wisconsin.
15:56So that's what we're going to be focusing on.
15:58And we've been doing it thus far.
16:00We're going to continue to do that.
16:01Thank you so much for being here, y'all.
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