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Election Day 2026: David Crowley on Wisconsin's Race for Governor · The Breakfast Club

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  Speaker 1: It's Election Day in America, and today voters are making
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  Speaker 1: decisions that could shape the direction of this country for
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  Speaker 1: years to come. And this election could also make history.
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  Speaker 1: In nearly 250 years, America has elected just three black governors.
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  Speaker 1: This year, eight black candidates are running for governor across
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  Speaker 1: the country. And one of those candidates is David Crowley,
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  Speaker 1: who was running to become Wisconsin's first black governor. Crowley
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  Speaker 1: currently serves as Milwaukee County Executive, and he's hoping to
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  Speaker 1: take his experience leading Wisconsin's largest county to the governor's office. Well,
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  Speaker 1: today I'm joined by David Crowley to talk about his
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  Speaker 1: campaign and the issues that matter the most to Wisconsin voters. David,
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  Speaker 1: it is Election Day. How are you feeling? Have you
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  Speaker 1: gotten any sleep?
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  Speaker 2: Well, first and foremost, thank you for having me.
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  Speaker 3: And no, I'm not getting any sleep right now.
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  Speaker 2: It's a lot of anxiety when you think about election
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  Speaker 2: being today, election day being the day. But I'm really excited.
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  Speaker 2: We've been seeing a lot of momentum within the past
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  Speaker 2: few weeks. And I truly believe not only I'm going
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  Speaker 2: to win this race, but we're going to help elect
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  Speaker 2: Democrats up and down the ballot here in the state
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  Speaker 2: of Wisconsin to make sure we can continue to move forward.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah. You know, I know you've spent months traveling across
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  Speaker 1: Wisconsin talking to voters and What's the biggest thing you've
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  Speaker 1: heard from people that they need out of their next governor?
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  Speaker 3: Well, then folks want somebody who's going to work for them. Right.
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  Speaker 2: And right now, affordability is at the highest, you know,
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  Speaker 2: at the top of the list for many folks, how
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  Speaker 2: they're going to afford their groceries, their rents, their mortgage payment,
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  Speaker 2: even at the gas pump right now. But also you
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  Speaker 2: think about so many families that are just like mine.
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  Speaker 2: I have three daughters who can't keep up when it
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  Speaker 2: comes down to child care, even.
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  Speaker 3: Paying for health care.
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  Speaker 2: Because they have seen their premiums skyrocket because of decisions
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  Speaker 2: by this federal administration. And so we're going to continue
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  Speaker 2: to talk about those things while my opponent continues to
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  Speaker 2: just focus on, you know, disparaging me, focusing on distractions, dividing,
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  Speaker 2: and frankly, just lying about who I am and what
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  Speaker 2: we're going to do. But folks want somebody who's going
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  Speaker 2: to work for them, someone who understands the struggle that
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  Speaker 2: folks are going through. I come from a working class
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  Speaker 2: family and I look forward to representing our state.
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  Speaker 3: Absolutely.
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  Speaker 1: You know, and Wisconsin is a battleground state. There's a
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  Speaker 1: lot of, as you just mentioned, political division. How do
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  Speaker 1: you convince people that may be on the fence that
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  Speaker 1: you are the man to represent them?
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  Speaker 2: Well, I think, one, you need to elect somebody who
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  Speaker 2: comes from similar backgrounds, who understand the issues, right? You know,
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  Speaker 2: I grew up here in the state of Wisconsin, in
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  Speaker 2: the city of Milwaukee, to be exact, and had great
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  Speaker 2: loving parents. But they had their share of struggles with
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  Speaker 2: mental health, with drug addictions. I was evicted three times
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  Speaker 2: before I graduated high school. And for at least 15 years,
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  Speaker 2: I moved every single year of my life. So I
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  Speaker 2: know what families are going through because I remember those
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  Speaker 2: nights not knowing if food would be on the table
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  Speaker 2: or not having enough money to put gas in the
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  Speaker 2: car or not even just having bus fare to get
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  Speaker 2: around to go to school or to go to work.
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  Speaker 2: And so people want somebody who understands that struggle, but
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  Speaker 2: more importantly.
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  Speaker 3: Who know how to bring people together.
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  Speaker 2: I have an organizing background and I've been able to
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  Speaker 2: coalesce folks from across the entire political spectrum, whether you're
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  Speaker 2: a Democrat, Republican, independent, or quite frankly, don't care about politics.
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  Speaker 2: And we've been able to deliver, you know, as county executive,
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  Speaker 2: I represent the largest county here in Wisconsin. We have
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  Speaker 2: the lowest homeless count per capita than any community across
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  Speaker 2: the country. We've reduced overdose deaths by 40% and we've
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  Speaker 2: been able to expand affordable housing.
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  Speaker 3: And so it's not just a lived experience. I've actually
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  Speaker 3: gotten things done.
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  Speaker 2: And, you know, one of the, My proud accomplishments is
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  Speaker 2: that we kept the Milwaukee Brewers here and we just
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  Speaker 2: celebrated the World Series not too long ago.
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  Speaker 3: And that's what people want in the state of Wisconsin.
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  Speaker 2: Somebody who's not just talking the talk, but somebody that
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  Speaker 2: can actually walk the walk.
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  Speaker 1: President Trump has been a major factor in this election.
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  Speaker 1: Where do you think his policies are having the biggest
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  Speaker 1: impact on Wisconsin families?
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  Speaker 2: Well, the biggest impact is that we're seeing the increase
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  Speaker 2: in costs, you know, and not just in urban areas, right?
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  Speaker 2: You know, the cost that we see with utility bills,
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  Speaker 2: you know, seeing your electric and your gas rates constantly rise.
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  Speaker 2: But also when you think about our rural communities right now,
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  Speaker 2: you know, the Canadian tears, this endless war of choice
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  Speaker 2: that they have put ourselves in. We have seen our
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  Speaker 2: diesel prices and our gas prices skyrocket and families, they
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  Speaker 2: feel uncertain about their entire future. I mean, young people,
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  Speaker 2: We don't see a future here in Wisconsin and looking
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  Speaker 2: to go elsewhere. And so right now, this particular Trump administration,
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  Speaker 2: they aren't helping families get ahead.
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  Speaker 3: Matter of fact, they've done the exact opposite.
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  Speaker 2: They've created many holes that we have to dig ourselves
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  Speaker 2: out of at this moment because they can continue to
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  Speaker 2: increase costs. But they also rather focus on culture wars
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  Speaker 2: than the issues that facing, you know, Wisconsinites and Americans
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  Speaker 2: all across our country.
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  Speaker 1: And, you know, Wisconsin has never elected a black governor.
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  Speaker 1: What would it mean personally to you to make history?
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  Speaker 3: You don't know.
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  Speaker 2: We've never elected a black governor. And, you know, while
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  Speaker 2: the historical nature is not lost on me, I'm not
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  Speaker 2: running to make history. You know, if I'm going to
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  Speaker 2: make any type of history, it's making child poverty history.
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  Speaker 2: It's making housing and security history. My job is to
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  Speaker 2: make sure that we're delivering for the six million people.
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  Speaker 2: who call this state home, making sure they can afford
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  Speaker 2: their groceries, making sure that kids, no matter what zip
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  Speaker 2: code they live in, who they love, or what their
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  Speaker 2: last name may be, they feel safe in their education system.
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  Speaker 2: And so my job is to make sure that when
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  Speaker 2: I see that glass ceiling, that we shatter it, right?
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  Speaker 2: And make sure that we bring that ladder to allow
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  Speaker 2: others to come behind us. And so I'm focusing on
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  Speaker 2: making sure that when I walk through that door, becoming
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  Speaker 2: the 47th governor of the state of Wisconsin, the first
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  Speaker 2: African-American elected to this seat, that I am able to
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  Speaker 2: inspire and encourage other young people who look like me
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  Speaker 2: that they can dream big and do whatever they want
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  Speaker 2: to do.
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  Speaker 1: And finally, David, for someone who is, you know, from Wisconsin,
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  Speaker 1: but they are still undecided, what do you want them
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  Speaker 1: to know about you when they walk in that voting booth?
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  Speaker 2: Well, I have an organizing background and I was always
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  Speaker 2: told that if you don't have a seat at the table,
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  Speaker 2: you're on the menu. And when I think about people
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  Speaker 2: of color, Black folks, they've been on the menu. Our
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  Speaker 2: LGBTQ community, they've been on the menu. Our farmers, our
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  Speaker 2: rural communities, women, they've all been on the menu. And
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  Speaker 2: what I want to make sure that they can pull
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  Speaker 2: up a chair, that they can lend their voices to
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  Speaker 2: the solutions that's going to work for them, and that
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  Speaker 2: they can actually be a part of the decision-making process.
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  Speaker 2: And that's how you create that long-term stability. And so
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  Speaker 2: I just want folks to know that I'm going to
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  Speaker 2: be the governor that works for working families, that works
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  Speaker 2: for the people who aren't getting ahead while my opponent
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  Speaker 2: is focusing on doing the work and the bidding of
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  Speaker 2: Donald Trump and these billionaires who are fully funding his
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  Speaker 2: entire campaign.
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  Speaker 3: This is about the people who have.
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  Speaker 2: Not had their voice be heard, who don't feel like
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  Speaker 2: they have been seen. And I just want to make
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  Speaker 2: sure that when that tide rise, all the boats rise
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  Speaker 2: across this state. And we can be an example to
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  Speaker 2: our communities within Wisconsin, but also to other states and
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  Speaker 2: other communities across this entire country. Because at the end
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  Speaker 2: of the day, this is about defeating the MAGA agenda
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  Speaker 2: once and for all.
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  Speaker 1: Well, David, thank you so much for joining me on
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  Speaker 1: Election Day. I know this is an incredibly busy day
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  Speaker 1: for you, and I appreciate you taking the time to
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  Speaker 1: speak with us. We'll be watching the results tonight. Thank
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  Speaker 1: you and best of luck. And a quick reminder for
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  Speaker 1: our listeners in Wisconsin, you can same day register to
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  Speaker 1: vote right at your polling place today. You'll need proof
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  Speaker 1: of where you live to register and an acceptable photo
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  Speaker 1: ID to vote. Polls are open to 8 p.m. tonight
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  Speaker 1: local time. You can find your polling location at myvote.wi.gov.
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  Speaker 1: But remember, even for those who are not in Wisconsin,
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  Speaker 1: please get out and vote. Exercise your right to vote.
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  Speaker 1: That's your front page. I'm Mimi Brown. This podcast was
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  Speaker 1: brought to you by the Black Effect Podcast Network.