Republican Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI) blamed Democratic nominee Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley after a series of youth brawls broke out at the Wisconsin State Fair over the weekend.
Videos posted to social media Sunday night showed a chaotic scene at the fair, with groups of young people running through crowds, fighting, and shouting. At least one police officer was reportedly punched in the face. It was not immediately clear what sparked the chaos.
“This is Milwaukee County under David Crowley. Crime. Chaos. At least one officer punched,” Tiffany wrote in a social media post. “Public safety starts with leadership, and Crowley’s leadership has failed Milwaukee County. Don’t let him fail Wisconsin.”
The clash comes as Crowley prepares for a closely watched general election against Tiffany after securing the Democratic nomination in last week’s primary. Crowley defeated progressive challenger Francesca Hong in a major upset and has pledged to run a campaign focused on unifying the Democratic Party.
Hong’s campaign had drawn attention from the national progressive movement, though several prominent progressive figures declined to endorse her. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), along with Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), did not back Hong. Hong also faced criticism over past social media posts in which she called for canceling Thanksgiving and defunding the police.
Crowley initially launched his gubernatorial campaign in September but dropped out in July after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez emerged as the apparent front-runner for the Democratic nomination. Crowley endorsed Rodriguez, but she suspended her campaign just weeks before the Aug. 11 primary following inaccuracies in her financial disclosures.
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Meanwhile, Tiffany’s endorsement by President Donald Trump helped him avoid a contentious Republican primary. The early consolidation of Republican support allowed Tiffany to spend months airing positive television advertisements introducing himself to voters before Democrats had selected their nominee.
The general election is already shaping up to be competitive. A new poll of likely Wisconsin voters shows Crowley leading Tiffany by 4 percentage points, with the Democratic nominee holding a wider advantage among independent voters.