Former Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez both rejected suggestions that Crowley’s decision to drop out of the Democratic primary for governor was part of an effort to block State Rep. Francesca Hong from winning the nomination during a Thursday press conference.
Crowley ended his campaign Wednesday and shortly thereafter endorsed Rodriguez. The next day, during an interview, he was pressed on whether the move reflected establishment pressure to clear the path for Rodriguez over Hong. “I want to be very clear; there was no establishment process,” Crowley said.
Rodriguez, who has now received endorsements from both Crowley and former candidate Missy Hughes, defended herself by pointing to her record. “What I would ask people is to look at my website. Look at what I’ve done,” she said when asked about claims of party maneuvering.
Francesca Hong, the Democratic Socialist candidate, has consistently led in polling with Sarah traditionally in second.
Crowley’s withdrawal came after months of low polling, limited fundraising and poor messaging strategy. Many, including those on the left, called it a disappointing campaign, overshadowed by failures in Milwaukee County government.
