Democrat David Crowley defeated Republican Tom Tiffany in Wisconsin’s gubernatorial contest Tuesday, keeping the battleground executive office in Democratic hands and becoming its first black governor.
The Associated Press called the race for Crowley at 11:28 p.m. He garnered 53.6% against Tiffany’s 46.4%.
The race to replace retiring Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) became one of the most closely watched gubernatorial contests of the midterm elections, with both parties pouring millions of dollars into the first open governor’s race in Wisconsin since 2010.
Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, narrowly secured the Democratic nomination in August after a contentious primary against state Rep. Francesca Hong, a socialist. Crowley had previously dropped out of the race before reentering with Evers’s endorsement. Three other Democratic hopefuls dropped out of the race leading up to the primary as Hong mounted support.
After a contentious primary win over Hong, Crowley sought to unite Democratic voters by framing the race as a fight against the Make America Great Again movement.
Tiffany, a four-term congressman representing northern Wisconsin, secured the Republican nomination with the backing of President Donald Trump. He campaigned on lowering costs, opposition to data centers, and immigration enforcement. Crowley had emphasized affordability, education, and protecting abortion rights.
Tiffany handily won his primary after several GOP candidates had dropped their bids for the seat either after Tiffany entered the race or after Trump endorsed him.
The contest also highlighted Trump’s influence in a state he narrowly carried in 2024 against former Vice President Kamala Harris. Tiffany sought to distance himself from some of the president’s more controversial policies, while Democrats worked to tie the Republican nominee to the administration.
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The race attracted significant outside attention and spending, including millions of dollars from wealthy GOP donors supporting Tiffany. Polling remained competitive in the final weeks, with a RealClearPolitics average of polls from July to November showing Crowley leading Tiffany by nearly 4 points.
Cook Political Report had long rated the race as a “toss-up,” and its voting index showed a dead heat between Democrat and Republican voters.