Election 2026

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Candidate record

David Crowley

Milwaukee County Executive. Running with Sarah Godlewski for lieutenant governor. Campaign affiliation: Democratic.

Voter guide

Background, stated goals, record, and money

Goals come from the campaign's own platform. Record lines are official actions.

How this guide is built

Background comes from official records, and from the campaign's own biography where the bullet says so; goals are summarized from the campaign's own platform and stay attributed; the record lines are official actions with the government source attached; money is shown as filed, with the filings it covers in the note under the table, and is not evidence of why any position was taken.

David Crowley

Background

  • Milwaukee County Executive since 2020. Won a second term in April 2024 with 84.52 percent of the vote, by the county's unofficial count.
  • Represented Milwaukee's 17th Assembly District, first elected in 2016.
  • Before that he was a legislative aide and a political organizer.
  • His running mate for lieutenant governor is Sarah Godlewski.

What they say they want to do

  • Take his county small-business grant program statewide.
  • Universal early childhood education and more money for public schools.
  • A 7 percent cap on what families pay out of pocket for child care, and paid family leave.
  • Invest in solar power and energy retrofits.
  • Protect voting rights and push for nonpartisan redistricting.

What the official record shows

  • Co-authored a resolution declaring abortion health care. It never got a vote.
  • Voted yes on the bill to close Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake, which passed the Assembly 95-0.
  • Co-authored the follow-up youth prison law, 2019 Wisconsin Act 8.
  • Signed the extra 0.4 percent county sales tax that Act 12 allowed, after the County Board passed it 15-3.
  • Signed the county's climate plan after the County Board passed it 17-1.

Campaign money from other committees, by type

Governor candidates file with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission, and state law limits how that data may be reused, so we link to it instead.

Source: Wisconsin Ethics Commission

Words and record

What they say, and what the record shows

Each card gets one label from a fixed list and states its own limit.

Matches stated record claim

What they say

His campaign says that as a state lawmaker he co-sponsored a 2017 resolution declaring that abortion is health care.

What the record shows ·

He is one of 13 Assembly authors of the 2017 resolution, which went to the Rules Committee and never got a vote.

Read the full check

Quotes, full record and limits

What they say

His campaign says that as a state lawmaker he co-sponsored a 2017 resolution declaring that abortion is health care.

“co-sponsored Assembly Joint Resolution 10 (2017), which declared that abortion is health care”

What the record shows ·

Assembly Joint Resolution 10, filed February 24, 2017, states the Legislature's declaration that abortion is health care. Crowley is one of its 13 Assembly authors. It went to the Rules Committee and never got a vote.

Limit: A resolution states a view. It would not have changed any law.

Matches stated record claim

What they say

His campaign says he co-wrote legislation to close Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake, the state's youth prisons, and replace them with smaller sites closer to home.

What the record shows ·

He voted for the 2018 closing law, which a committee wrote, and co-wrote the 2019 follow-up law that kept the plan going and moved the deadline to July 2021.

Read the full check

Quotes, full record and limits

What they say

His campaign says he co-wrote legislation to close Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake, the state's youth prisons, and replace them with smaller sites closer to home.

“He co-authored legislation to close Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake”

What the record shows ·

In 2017 he co-wrote a bill for a youth facility in Milwaukee County, closer to home. It died. The 2018 law that ordered the closing had no named authors; a committee wrote it. He voted for it, and it passed the Assembly 95-0. In 2019 he co-wrote the follow-up law, 2019 Wisconsin Act 8, which kept the plan going and moved the closing deadline from January 1 to July 1, 2021.

Limit: The law he co-wrote was a follow-up, not the one that first ordered the closing.

Matches stated direction

What they say

His campaign says he has already cut Milwaukee County's emissions nearly in half.

What the record shows ·

County operations cut emissions 46% from 2005 to 2023, but about three-quarters of that drop came before he took office in 2020.

Read the full check

Quotes, full record and limits

What they say

His campaign says he has already cut Milwaukee County's emissions nearly in half.

“He's already cut emissions nearly 50% in Milwaukee County”

What the record shows ·

County operations cut emissions 46 percent from 2005 to 2023, from 209,154 metric tons to 113,789. By 2019, the year before he took office, they were already down about 35 percent, to 136,347. About three-quarters of the drop came before he was county executive. In May 2026 the county put the cut at 48 percent through 2024.

Limit: County operations cut emissions 46% from 2005 to 2023, but about three-quarters of that came before he took office in 2020.

No assessment

What they say

His campaign says he led the passage of Wisconsin Act 12, which raised state aid to cities and counties.

What the record shows ·

State lawmakers wrote Act 12. He testified, backed it in writing and signed the county tax it allowed. His account puts him in shared talks, without establishing leadership.

Read the full check

Quotes, full record and limits

What they say

His campaign says he led the passage of Wisconsin Act 12, which raised state aid to cities and counties.

“He led on the passage of Wisconsin Act 12”

What the record shows ·

Act 12 became law on June 20, 2023. It changed state aid to cities and counties and let Milwaukee County add a sales tax. Its authors were state lawmakers. He spoke at both committee hearings in May 2023, registered for information rather than for the bill. His written testimony backs it, calls it “truly historic progress” and says lawmakers spent “countless hours” with him and other local officials. In July the County Board passed the extra 0.4 percent county sales tax the Act allowed, and he signed it.

Why there is no assessment here

Records show he was one of several local officials in the talks, but not that he led them.

Limit: The hours of talks are his own account. The lead Senate author thanks Milwaukee's “newly elected leadership” but names no one.

Issues in this record

Follow the evidence by issue.

Health careEnergy and climateTaxes and local governmentPublic safety

Evidence timeline

Dated records, with sources attached.

  1. race event

    The ballot is set

    The official sample ballot prints two tickets for governor: Tiffany and Varnam, and Crowley and Godlewski, plus a write-in line.

  2. race event

    County climate plan adopted

    The County Board passes the Climate Action 2050 Plan 17-1, and Crowley signs it the next day.

  3. race event

    Crowley wins a second term

    He gets 84.52 percent of the vote for county executive, by the county's unofficial election-night count.

  4. race event

    Milwaukee County adds a sales tax

    Using power from Act 12, the County Board passes an extra 0.4 percent sales tax, 15-3, and Crowley signs it.

  5. race event

    Crowley is county executive

    His first appointment letter as county executive is dated May 6, 2020. A county memo of April 10 still names Chris Abele in the job.

  6. race event

    Youth prison follow-up law

    2019 Wisconsin Act 8 becomes law. Crowley was a co-author in the Assembly and Tiffany a cosponsor in the Senate.

  7. race event

    Assembly votes to close Lincoln Hills

    The bill that becomes 2017 Wisconsin Act 185 passes the Assembly 95-0, with Crowley's vote.

  8. race event

    Crowley co-authors abortion resolution

    Assembly Joint Resolution 10 declares abortion health care. It never gets a vote.

See something wrong or incomplete? Report it for review.

Sources30 source records

How we use sources

  1. Milwaukee County Climate Action 2050 Plan (April 2025) (document)

    Milwaukee County · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The county's climate plan, filed as File 25-262. Gives county operations' emissions as 209,154 metric tons in 2005 and 113,789 in 2023, a 46 percent drop, and lists David Crowley as County Executive. The Board resolution on the same file prints 2005 as 207,154, which would give 45 percent; the desk uses the plan's figure. The plan's 2005 and 2016-2022 figures come from the county's ClearPath inventories; its 2023 vehicle-fleet figure was modeled on 2022 data.

    official office record

    For: Current role; Cutting county carbon emissions

  2. File 20-383, appointment letter (document)

    Office of the Milwaukee County Executive · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Dated May 6, 2020, from David Crowley, County Executive, appointing a department director. With the April 10 memo, it puts his start as county executive between those dates. sha256 9180dc48.

    official office record

    For: Background, goals, record and campaign money; Cutting county carbon emissions; Crowley is county executive

  3. Summary results, April 2, 2024 spring election (document)

    Milwaukee County Election Commission · Published Apr 2, 2024 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Election-night report, headed UNOFFICIAL RESULTS. County executive: Crowley 116,933 votes, 84.52 percent. The certified canvass was not read. The county site blocks our reader; checked against the Wayback Machine copy of 2026-09-19, sha256 1bd3fabf.

    official election record

    For: Background, goals, record and campaign money; Crowley wins a second term

  4. David's Storyhttps://www.crowleyforwi.com/davids-story

    Crowley for Wisconsin · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Captured 2026-09-23. His biography.

    candidate statement

    For: Background, goals, record and campaign money

  5. Representative David Crowley, 2019 sessionhttps://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2019/legislators/assembly/1811

    Wisconsin State Legislature · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Assembly District 17, elected since 2016. It lists 2019 AB 188 among his co-authored proposals.

    official legislative record

    For: Background, goals, record and campaign money

  6. Representative David Crowley, 2017 sessionhttps://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2017/legislators/assembly/1634

    Wisconsin State Legislature · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The Legislature's biography and his authored and co-authored bills. It lists 2017 AJR 10 among his co-authored proposals.

    official legislative record

    For: Background, goals, record and campaign money; Declaring abortion health care; Closing the Lincoln Hills youth prisons

  7. Official sample ballot, November 3, 2026 (document)

    La Crosse County Clerk · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Prints two tickets for governor and lieutenant governor, Tiffany and Varnam (Republican) and Crowley and Godlewski (Democratic), plus a write-in line. Read 2026-09-23; sha256 1dbfdb40.

    official election record

    For: Background, goals, record and campaign money; The ballot is set

  8. David's Planhttps://www.crowleyforwi.com/Plan

    Crowley for Wisconsin · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Captured 2026-09-23. His plan as governor.

    candidate statement

    For: Background, goals, record and campaign money; Cutting county carbon emissions

  9. David's Recordhttps://www.crowleyforwi.com/Record

    Crowley for Wisconsin · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Captured 2026-09-23. His account of his record in the Assembly and as county executive.

    candidate statement

    For: Background, goals, record and campaign money; Declaring abortion health care; Closing the Lincoln Hills youth prisons; Wisconsin Act 12 and local funding

  10. 2017 Assembly Joint Resolution 10https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2017/proposals/ajr10

    Wisconsin State Legislature · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Relating to the legislature's declaration that abortion is health care. Introduced 2017-02-24 by 13 representatives including Crowley; referred to Rules; failed to adopt 2018-03-28 without a floor vote.

    official legislative record

    For: Background, goals, record and campaign money; Declaring abortion health care; Crowley co-authors abortion resolution

  11. 2017 Assembly Bill 953, juvenile correctionshttps://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2017/proposals/ab953

    Wisconsin State Legislature · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Introduced by the Committee on Corrections, with no individual authors. Became 2017 Wisconsin Act 185, which required Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake to close. Published 2018-03-31.

    official legislative record

    For: Background, goals, record and campaign money; Closing the Lincoln Hills youth prisons; Assembly votes to close Lincoln Hills

  12. 2017 Assembly vote 281, AB 953 passagehttps://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2017/related/votes/assembly/av0281

    Wisconsin State Legislature · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    2018-02-21. Passed 95-0. Crowley: Aye.

    official legislative record

    For: Background, goals, record and campaign money; Closing the Lincoln Hills youth prisons; Assembly votes to close Lincoln Hills

  13. 2019 Assembly Bill 188, juvenile secure custody facilitieshttps://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2019/proposals/ab188

    Wisconsin State Legislature · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Introduced 2019-04-25 by 35 representatives including Crowley, with Senate cosponsors including Tiffany. Became 2019 Wisconsin Act 8, published 2019-06-29.

    official legislative record

    For: Background, goals, record and campaign money; Closing the Lincoln Hills youth prisons; Youth prison follow-up law

  14. File 23-719, action historyhttps://webapi.legistar.com/v1/milwaukeecounty/matters/13550/histories

    Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The county's legislative record for the sales tax ordinance: adopted as amended by the County Board 2023-07-27, signed by the County Executive 2023-08-03, published 2023-08-09.

    official office record

    For: Background, goals, record and campaign money; Wisconsin Act 12 and local funding; Milwaukee County adds a sales tax

  15. File 23-719, signature copy (document)

    Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The extra 0.4 percent county sales tax, effective January 1, 2024. Adopted 15-3 on 2023-07-27. Scanned; read by OCR.

    official office record

    For: Background, goals, record and campaign money; Milwaukee County adds a sales tax

  16. File 25-262, action historyhttps://webapi.legistar.com/v1/milwaukeecounty/matters/15030/histories

    Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The county's legislative record for the climate plan: adopted by the County Board 2025-04-24, signed by the County Executive 2025-04-25.

    official office record

    For: Background, goals, record and campaign money; County climate plan adopted

  17. File 25-262, signature copy (document)

    Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Board adoption of the climate plan, 17-1, on 2025-04-24. Scanned; read by OCR.

    official office record

    For: Background, goals, record and campaign money; County climate plan adopted

  18. Campaign finance: search data and view filed reportshttps://ethics.wi.gov/Pages/CampaignFinance/ViewReports.aspx

    Wisconsin Ethics Commission · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Where state candidates, including for governor, file their campaign finance reports (the Sunshine system).

    official office record

    For: Background, goals, record and campaign money

  19. Wis. Stat. § 11.1304(12)https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/11/xiii/1304/12

    Wisconsin State Legislature · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Says information copied from these reports may not be sold or used for any commercial purpose. This site carries ads, so it links to the filings instead of reproducing them.

    official legislative record

    For: Background, goals, record and campaign money

  20. 2017 Assembly vote 343, AB 953 concurrencehttps://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2017/related/votes/assembly/av0343

    Wisconsin State Legislature · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    2018-03-22, concurring in the Senate substitute. Passed 90-0. Crowley: Aye.

    official legislative record

    For: Closing the Lincoln Hills youth prisons

  21. Act memo: 2019 Wisconsin Act 8 (document)

    Wisconsin Legislative Council · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Calls Act 8 trailer legislation to Act 185. It moves the Lincoln Hills closing deadline from January 1, 2021 to July 1, 2021.

    official legislative record

    For: Closing the Lincoln Hills youth prisons

  22. 2017 Assembly Bill 468, Milwaukee County youth facilityhttps://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2017/proposals/ab468

    Wisconsin State Legislature · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Relating to a Type 1 juvenile correctional facility in Milwaukee County. Introduced 2017-08-07 by Representatives Young, Crowley, Bowen and others. Failed to pass 2018-03-28. His 2017 legislator page also lists AB 102, a study of Missouri's small-facility model, among his co-authored bills.

    official legislative record

    For: Closing the Lincoln Hills youth prisons

  23. Climate Action 2050 Plan: Emissions Assessment Report, File 23-986 (document)

    Milwaukee County · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    An audit of the county's ClearPath inventories, filed 2023-11-08. Appendix A, Table 5 gives county operations' emissions by year: 2018 141,979; 2019 136,347; 2020 111,789 metric tons. This is the series the plan's 2005 and 2023 figures come from. The county's first inventory (File 20-318, April 2020) used earlier methods and put 2018 at 146,678; it is not mixed in. sha256 69f2f820.

    official office record

    For: Cutting county carbon emissions

  24. File 20-318, cover memo (document)

    Milwaukee County Office of Sustainability · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Cover memo for the county's first emissions inventory, dated April 10, 2020 and copied to Chris Abele as County Executive. Abele still held the office that day.

    official office record

    For: Cutting county carbon emissions; Crowley is county executive

  25. Crowley highlights emission reductions in county operationshttps://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/County-Executive/News/Milwaukee-County-Executive-David-Crowley-Highlights-Emission-Reductions-in-County-Operations

    Office of the Milwaukee County Executive · Published May 19, 2026 · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    The county's Office of Sustainability reports a 48 percent cut in county operations' emissions through 2024, against 2005. File 26-415, which the release cites, does not print that figure, and the 2024 inventory itself was not read. The site blocks our reader; checked against a copy saved 2026-09-24, sha256 9afcf29c.

    official office record

    For: Cutting county carbon emissions

  26. 2023 Assembly Bill 245, shared revenuehttps://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2023/proposals/ab245

    Wisconsin State Legislature · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Introduced by Representatives Kurtz, Rodriguez, Vos and others. Approved by the Governor 2023-06-20 as 2023 Wisconsin Act 12.

    official legislative record

    For: Wisconsin Act 12 and local funding

  27. Act memo: 2023 Wisconsin Act 12 (document)

    Wisconsin Legislative Council · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Says the Act changes shared revenue for counties and cities and lets Milwaukee County add a 0.4 percent sales tax.

    official legislative record

    For: Wisconsin Act 12 and local funding; Milwaukee County adds a sales tax

  28. Record of committee proceedings, 2023 Assembly Bill 245 (document)

    Assembly Committee on Local Government · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Public hearing 2023-05-04. Lists County Executive David Crowley under 'Appearances for Information Only', not under 'Appearances For'. sha256 0d4b9a47.

    official legislative record

    For: Wisconsin Act 12 and local funding

  29. Record of committee proceedings, 2023 Senate Bill 301 (document)

    Senate Committee on Shared Revenue, Elections and Consumer Protection · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    SB 301 is the Senate's matching bill, with the same relating clause as AB 245. Public hearing 2023-05-23. Lists David Crowley, Milwaukee County, under 'Appearances for Information Only'. sha256 5d39429a.

    official legislative record

    For: Wisconsin Act 12 and local funding

  30. Hearing testimony and materials, 2023 Assembly Bill 245, May 4, 2023 (document)

    Wisconsin Legislative Council · Reviewed Sep 23, 2026

    Written testimony filed at the Assembly hearing, linked from the AB 245 bill page. Page 5 is Crowley's; pages 3-4 are lead Senate author Mary Felzkowski's. The Senate hearing's materials (SB 301, May 23, 2023) hold no testimony from him. sha256 cbf916df.

    official legislative record

    For: Wisconsin Act 12 and local funding