Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley just launched his first TV ad in the Democratic primary for governor, shelling out six figures to lob a not-so-subtle aim at the party’s socialist-leaning frontrunners without naming them.
The 30-second ad, called “Choice,” kicks off with the tired trope that Republicans are supposedly meddling in the primary, spending millions to prop up candidates they know they can beat. Then Crowley steps in, touting his endorsements from Governor Tony Evers, labor unions, and the usual progressive suspects across Wisconsin. Crowley closes by declaring he has “taken on Donald Trump” and will “take down Republican Tom Tiffany,” urging Wisconsin Democrats that “the choice is yours.”
The ad takes a swipe at a multimillion-dollar Republican Governors Association campaign targeting state Rep. Francesca Hong, the democratic socialist currently leading prediction markets and recent internal polling in the August 11 primary. Crowley, for his part, relaunched his campaign just days ago with Evers’ blessing, after first dropping out and backing Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, whose own campaign imploded under the weight of an embarrassing finance scandal. The move was widely viewed by both parties as a late establishment effort to block Hong and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes from securing the nomination. However, the ad has been criticized for its heavy reliance on endorsements rather than policy specifics.
Hong, a Madison lawmaker who has embraced socialist policies including abolishing the police and a data-center moratorium, has drawn both far-left enthusiasm and Republican attacks labeling her too extreme for a purple state. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes remains in the field alongside state Sen. Kelda Roys and former Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan.
Crowley’s re-entry and immediate ad campaign come as establishment Democrats have privately expressed concern that a Hong nomination would hand Tiffany a clear path in the general election. Crowley’s entry into paid media comes as another long-shot Democrat, former Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan, also released an ad this week explicitly labeling Hong “a proud socialist,” noting Barnes “lost statewide before,” and reminding viewers that Crowley “dropped out” before returning.
