By Gerren Keith Gaynor @ The Grio
David Crowley is hoping to pull off what no African American in the state of Wisconsin has ever done in this year’s gubernatorial election.
The 39-year-old Democrat, who is currently the Milwaukee County Executive, is campaigning in a crowded primary race to be the Badger State’s 47th governor. If he beats out the competition and wins the general election on Nov. 3, Crowley would become Wisconsin’s first Black governor–and only the 4th Black governor elected in U.S. history.
“The historic nature of this campaign is not lost on me,” Crowley told theGrio during an in-depth interview. “It’s more important that, even if I am the first, that I’m not the last.”
The gubernatorial hopeful said he wants to create a “long-lasting legacy of being able to get work done,” particularly for younger Wisconsinites, by creating new pathways of opportunity for them.
Crowley’s path to politics is unconventional compared to most. The Milwaukee native was born in the state’s poorest zip code, or as he describes it, “where struggle is a part of daily life,” to parents who battled with addiction and mental health challenges throughout his youth.
“My family and I were evicted three times before I graduated high school. For at least 15 years, I moved every single year of my life,” he shared.
Crowley said that, while he had loving parents, the only stability he had during his childhood was school and his neighborhood, where he found community in teachers and mentors. Through that support, he beat the statistical odds and graduated from high school. However, more challenges arose when he enrolled in college in 2006.
“I realized that still balancing college work with life and paying the bills, it was difficult. And so I had to take a pause,” he told theGrio. “Not just for my own mental health, but for my own financial health, because I had to make sure that I was working enough to pay the bills.”
Crowley took on various roles in state and national politics, including as policy director in the Wisconsin State Capitol. In 2016, he was elected to the state assembly, where he served until he was elected Milwaukee County Executive in 2019. Despite his political success, Crowley, a husband and father of three girls, vowed to his mother that he would return to school so that he wouldn’t follow in her footsteps by not obtaining his college degree.
In 2024, he not only received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee but also delivered the commencement address.
“I wanted to show my mother that I’m going to keep my promises, but I also wanted to show my daughters how important it was, and also show the community that it’s never too late,” said Crowley.