Crowley Elected Wisconsin Governor, Makes History
Democrat David Crowley has defeated Republican Tom Tiffany to become Wisconsin’s next governor, capping a closely watched race and making history as the first Black person elected governor in Wisconsin.
Addressing supporters after his victory, Crowley called for bipartisan cooperation and action in Madison.
“In a state like ours, the voters keep everybody honest. And tonight, they told all of us in both parties, we are sending you to Madison to get something done. Now go do it,” Crowley said.
Crowley also emphasized unity in his victory speech.
“We are not defined by rural and urban. We are one people, one Wisconsin. And tonight, we choose to move forward together, y’all. God bless you all, and let’s get to work,” he said.
Tiffany conceded the race Tuesday night, accepting responsibility for the outcome and congratulating his opponent.
“I’m the candidate here. I take responsibility for our loss tonight. Clearly, I didn’t deliver the message well enough that we could make life more affordable and that the governor could get that job done. I mean, clearly that’s something that I did not get done and that’s why we lost tonight,” Tiffany said.
In a separate message, Tiffany said he had called Crowley to concede and wished him success as governor.
“I called David and conceded to him, and I wish David the very best. And we need him to do well as the governor of the state of Wisconsin and lead us because we want Wisconsin to be one of the great states here in America,” Tiffany said.
Crowley, who served as Milwaukee County Executive before running for governor, will take office as Wisconsin’s 47th governor.
Democrats Flip Wisconsin Legislature, Secure Governing Trifecta
Democrats have won control of both chambers of the Wisconsin Legislature, completing a sweep that gives the party its first governing trifecta in more than a decade.
Election results show Democrats flipped the State Assembly by winning eight targeted Republican-held seats, giving them a 53-seat majority in the chamber. Democrats also captured two key State Senate seats while holding a competitive western Wisconsin district, allowing them to gain the majority in the Senate.
The legislative victories come alongside the election of Democratic Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley as Wisconsin’s next governor.
Together, the wins give Democrats control of the governor’s office, the State Assembly and the State Senate heading into the next legislative session.
The new majorities mark the first time since 2010 that Democrats will hold a trifecta in Madison, putting the party in position to advance its legislative agenda after years of divided government and Republican control of the Legislature.
Berman Unseats Steil in Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District
Democrat Mitchell Berman has defeated Republican incumbent Bryan Steil in Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District, scoring a major upset in one of the state’s most closely watched congressional races.
Berman, an emergency room nurse, unseated Steil, who had represented the district in southeastern Wisconsin since 2019. In his victory speech Tuesday night, Berman said voters were looking beyond party labels and demanding action on issues affecting working families.
“Southeast Wisconsin sent a message to the country tonight. That message just isn’t about political party. It’s not about right or left. It’s about working class communities coming together to advocate for change,” Berman said.
Berman also pledged to focus on affordability, health care and government reform in Washington.
“I promise that I’m gonna work for you, that I will fight to lower your costs, to fix this broken healthcare system that leaves too many people behind, and fight the corruption in Washington,” he said.
Steil acknowledged defeat during his concession speech and thanked supporters.
“As I said, it was a difficult night. Tonight was not our night. But this is the greatest country in the world. I love the state of Wisconsin. And our work to make this, to continue it to be the greatest country in the world and the greatest state in the union will always continue,” Steil said.
The victory marks a significant Democratic pickup in Wisconsin and ends Steil’s tenure after nearly eight years representing the district in Congress.
Cooke defeats Van Orden in 3rd CD
Western Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District is in Democratic hands, as Derrick Van Orden conceded the race to Rebecca Cooke
“I’m going to call Rebecca Cooke and congratulate her for winning.That’s what’s going to happen. You know why? Because now she’s going to represent me in Congress. And it’s incumbent upon you to make sure that you understand that and that you support her. That’s who we are as Americans.”
Cooke spoke to her supporters. “I know that we are hungry here. Hungry for a change that we can feel in our bones, that we can feel in our pocketbooks and I am on a mission to deliver that.”
The third time was the charm for Cooke, who lost to Van Orden two years and lost a Democratic primary prior to that.
Kaul wins third term as AG
A third term for Wisconsin’s Attorney General. Voters reelected Democratic AG Josh Kaul, defeating Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney for a second time. Toney conceded at around 10:15 p.m. Tuesday with the Associated Press declaring Kaul the winner about a half hour later. Kaul defeated Toney by about 1.2 percentage points in 2022. Kaul was first sworn in as attorney general in January 2019 after defeating incumbent Republican Brad Schimel.