Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate David Crowley,a moderate who upset socialist Francesca Hong in the primary this week, said he would not campaign with far-left streamer Hasan Piker.
Democratic socialist Francesca Hong lost Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary earlier this month, but some of the progressive policies that define the party’s far-left flank may not have disappeared with her campaign entirely.
David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive who defeated Hong after being cast as the more moderate choice, has overseen racial-equity budgeting, expanded the county’s equity bureaucracy and urged the Wisconsin attorney general to sue fossil fuel companies for environmental-related damages. Meanwhile, Crowley has also shared ground with Hong on taxing millionaires and ambitious carbon-neutrality goals.
"Milwaukee County is known for it's beer and brats, but unfortunately it's also the epicenter of David Crowley's budgetary boondoggles. Under Crowley's failed leadership, residents received their largest property tax hike in 15 years, paid higher sales taxes for everyday purchases, and saw millions of their hard-earned tax dollars set up to finance Crowley's Green New Deal 'Net Zero' scam for the county," Wisconsin native and Republican consultant Mark Bednar told Fox News Digital.
"In an era where voters are increasingly focused on the economy and their pocketbooks, Wisconsinites should ask themselves, do they really want to expand Crowley's gross mismanagement and liberal priorities to the whole state?" He continued. "I'm guessing a big Wisconsin 'heck no.'"
WISCONSIN DEMOCRATIC VOTERS CHALK SOCIALIST FRANCESCA HONG'S STUNNING LOSS UP TO ELECTABILITY CONCERNS
Democratic Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate David Crowley greets supporters at a campaign rally on August 10, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Crowley is polling second behind front-runner Francesca Hong in the Democratic primary, which takes place tomorrow. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
In a recent campaign ad, Crowley touted a record of "getting things done" and "practical bipartisan solutions," while Wisconsin Public Radio described him during the primary as a "mainstream Democratic alternative" to Hong.
CBS News called him a "moderate Democrat" after his primary victory, while Axios framed Crowley's upset as a potential revival for the Democratic Party’s center-left.
But, despite being cast as the more moderate alternative, Crowley has shared several significant policy positions with Hong. Crowley himself acknowledged the policy overlap during the primary, telling supporters that "there’s many things that everybody agrees on, right?" when discussing his differences with Hong, according to WISN 12’s "UpFront," while adding that there were also areas where the two "absolutely disagree."
Both have backed higher taxes on millionaires, a $20 minimum wage, expanded union rights and universal child care. Their climate agendas also contain a notable parallel – Hong campaigned on making Wisconsin carbon-neutral by 2050, while Crowley signed Milwaukee County’s plan to bring county operations to net-zero emissions by the same year.
AOC BLASTED AS TOO MODERATE BY MAOIST DSA FACTION AS 2028 BUZZ GROWS
Progressive firebrand Francesca Hong looks to topple the Democratic establishment in a closely watched Wisconsin showdown. (Talia Sprague/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
Crowley’s record on DEI complicates his "moderate" image as well. It includes embedding a Racial Equity Budget Tool (REBT) into the state budgeting process. Milwaukee County describes the tool as a "structured racial equity lens" for departments to assess how budget decisions affect communities of color.
In his 2022 budget address, Crowley said all the Milwaukee County departments had "once again" used the tool and were asked what they would do with additional funding "to specifically address racial equity."