The all-important Black vote in Milwaukee still very much in play in governor’s race

The race for governor is officially on with the next Election Day determining who will be the Democratic nominee and potentially replace retiring Gov. Tony Evers. 

In Milwaukee, there is no clear favorite, as Black residents will once again play the biggest role in deciding the nominee. 

Milwaukee County, particularly the north side of Milwaukee, is home to a majority of the state’s Black residents. The current county executive is a north side native and he likes his chances at capturing a large portion of the Black vote. 

“I have a base right here in the Milwaukee County area because of all the work that we have done,” David Crowley told the Milwaukee Courier. “And we’ve seen that not just the city of Milwaukee, even many suburbs come out to support me, especially with the 85% win that I had during my reelection back in 2024.

The latest Marquette University poll in March showed that 65% of registered Democratic voters in Wisconsin are undecided. 

Two candidates in the race did register a substantial amount of support as voters preferred candidates in the race — Francesca Hong (14%) and Mandela Barnes (11%). Every other candidate in the race registered 3% or less statewide. 

To narrow down the polling to just Black voters would be difficult given the small sample size, but Crowley touts that he is leading amongst Black voters, according to the poll. Barnes’ campaign was quick to note that the former lieutenant governor led Crowley among Black voters by more than double in the February Marquette poll.

“I got more votes in the city of Milwaukee than anybody in a midterm election, including for governor,” Barnes, who also is a north side native, said in an interview.

Barnes lost a statewide election to Sen. Ron Johnson in 2022, but not before registering the highest voter turnout in Milwaukee for any midterm election. Still, since he lost to Johnson, there is mud slinging happening by opponents who say Barnes can’t win a general election. 

Barnes’ campaign points to polling that shows he is ahead of Republican candidate Tom Tiffany in a hypothetical head-to-head.

There are some that argue Barnes could have won the razor thin 2022 election had he increased turnout in Black Milwaukee even more. He also is now running against Crowley and will presumably lose Black voters to his fellow 53206 native if neither drops out before Election Day, August 11. 

“When it comes to Black Milwaukee, I live the Black experience of Wisconsin every single day. The good, the bad, the otherwise,” Barnes told the Courier.

Barnes talks about how Milwaukee once had a thriving Black middle class that was in large part employed at major manufacturers. “We all know what happened when we lost those job opportunities,” he said. 

Barnes said he is in the best position to win this race because he has the strongest name recognition statewide. His campaign was critical of the Marquette polling, providing several publicly available polls that show Barnes way ahead of the field. 

“It’s a profound difference,” said Molly Murphy, Barnes’ pollster. “The Marquette poll for the primary does not factor in past primary participation into their model.”

Murphy added that Marquette uses a relatively small sample size. 

But Barnes was clear that he doesn’t view himself as the front runner and doesn’t take any votes for granted.   

Despite polling the best in the Marquette poll, Hong also told the Courier, “I’m not the front runner.”

The state representative and democratic socialist remains focused on the north side of Milwaukee, she said. The Madison native and former chef held her first campaign rally at An Ox Cafe, near 74th and Hampton Avenue in Milwaukee.

“I want folks to know that we are prioritizing the Black community, that we are not taking their vote for granted and that they get to meet and grill me,” Hong said. “When Milwaukee folks are thriving, the rest of the state can thrive. And honestly, for me, it comes down to making sure that our campaign is loud and clear that I want everyone to love Black people.”

Hong is attempting a new brand of politics in Wisconsin, following the lead of other fellow democratic socialists like Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Zohran Mamdani. She is clear, however, that she is not attempting to build the brand of democratic socialism but wants to deliver on a new vision for the working class.  

Also registering a surprising small blimp on the radar of Black voters is the candidate endorsed by former Mayor Tom Barrett — Joel Brennan.

The former Barrett administration and Evers administration member is passionate about increasing turnout in the Black community and said his track record speaks toward the issues Black voters care about. 

“I’d like to think it’s a reflection of who I have been over the course of my career,” Brennan said. 

The former director of the Redevelopment Authority said he’s made a difference in economic and real estate development on the north side. He added that being a Milwaukee area native and having worked at Discovery World and managing budgets for Evers makes him the most job ready candidate in the race.

“I don’t need any on-the-job training,” he said. “We need more connections and I’ve established those over the course of my 30-year career.”

Shift in politics seen elsewhere reaches Wisconsin in Francesca Hong

Hong is looking to capitalize on an ongoing shift in the Democratic Party, pushing the establishment to the left, championing progressive policies. 

The split in the party has been more prevalent since the primary loss of Sanders in 2016 and his attempt at the nomination in 2020. We’ve seen the rise of leftist leaders in Congress and in local offices. 

“The Democratic Party shouldn’t underestimate the voters,” Hong said. “I think speaking clearly to a more democratic economy that answers to the needs of a working class people, and not for tax breaks for the wealthiest and corporate subsidies. People want fairness. People want to be able to make a living and take care of themselves and their loved ones. 

“Being progressive and bold is pushing for policies that meet the moment. We have not just an affordability crisis, but a crisis of democracy.  

“Our campaign is focused on growing, building on the momentum that we have. Our message on permanent affordability, the working class candidate for working class people, is really resonating.” 

Among other policies, Hong is proposing free school meals, universal childcare, guaranteed paid leave, expanded Medicaid for all, establishing a public bank plan, raising the minimum wage, lowering property taxes, building more public housing and stopping data center construction. 

She said she plans to pay for these policies by eliminating “corporate fat” in the budget, like tax breaks, and by increasing taxes on millionaires and billionaires in Wisconsin, and legalizing marijuana. 

Hong said Wisconsin is ready for her type of politics, like other parts of the country are, because voters have seen the state of the country. 

“We’re in a moment that demands the type of systemic change where we know that we’re never coming to these types of times, where working class people are getting screwed and getting cheated out of a life of dignity,” she said.

Mandela Barnes says his campaign is uniting 

Barnes is also focused on the state and not on party dynamics.

“This campaign is about Wisconsin values, about what people in the state have needed for so long and have been denied by the Republican-controlled Legislature. 

“This campaign is one that is going to unite the party. Any campaign I’ve won has brought people together. If you want to make a difference, if you want to see things change, this is the campaign.”

Barnes said he wants to bring down costs, freeze utility rates, create universal childcare and cut taxes for the middle class. His policies page includes standing up for farmers against President Donald Trump’s tariffs, restoring collective bargaining rights, supporting law enforcement, expanding Medicaid and raising the minimum wage. 

As a state legislator, Barnes helped lead an effort to increase funding for violence prevention programs, he said.

After his defeat to Johnson in 2022, Barnes said he could have “easily checked out going somewhere else and minded my own business, but it was important for me to focus on ensuring that we don’t lose more races by just one point.”

He mostly blames the result of the race on being outspent by Republicans. After the race, Barnes led Power to the Polls WI, the largest Black voter mobilization effort in the state. 

He said he should be the next governor because “no one is going to outwork me” and because he has the most executive experience in the race. 

David Crowley says he has the work experience 

Crowley says he is the best candidate in the race because his “track record speaks for itself.” 

He is attempting the former Gov. Scott Walker’s route to the governor’s mansion — from Milwaukee County Executive to Wisconsin Governor. Crowley doesn’t have the net worth of Walker, but he was leading the field in fundraising at the beginning of the year. 

He said while leading the county, he built more affordable housing, gave greater access to behavioral health services and reduced overdose deaths. 

“What separates me from the candidates is that I’m not just putting forward a vision and agenda on the table, my campaign is built on proven policy that we’ve been able to implement,” Crowley said. 

As governor, Crowley said the issue of affordable housing will be front and center. “It’s personal,” he said. Crowley was evicted multiple times as a young boy in Milwaukee. He said he wants to implement more down payment assistance for first time home buyers. 

Crowley’s policies page includes revitalizing neighborhoods and supporting union jobs. He wants to make investments in housing, health care, and climate resilience, and reduce property tax payments. 

Education is also a big part of Crowley’s platform, calling for universal pre-K and new investments in public schools. 

Crowley told the Courier he wishes to expand on Evers’ criminal justice reform legacy by reviewing parole and probation guidelines and the length of time people serve on them.  

“We need to engage young people, bring their voices to the table and give them a level of responsibility,” Crowley said. 

Joel Brennan looks to increase his name recognition 

Brennan, the most unknown candidate, is a 5th-generation Wisconsinite.

The close friend and former employee of Mayor Barrett does not have a policies page on his website. He told the Courier that is something that will appear soon but his top priorities are health care, housing, protecting democracy and elections, immigration and ICE, agriculture and education. 

“It’s still early in the campaign,” he said. “I’m not well known.” 

“I’m a pragmatic progressive,” he added.

Brennan told the Courier he wants to build on criminal justice reform and address the disparity for incarcerating people and the rest of the state budget. 

“What are we spending more money on? Corrections or higher education in the state of Wisconsin,” he said.

On housing, Brennan sees a problem with out-of-state landlords buying up properties. He said he views the rental market as being skewed in favor of the landlord for several years now and thinks new legislation is needed. 

But mainly his background is in development and wants to invest in neighborhoods.

“I live in the city of Milwaukee. I love the community,” Brennan said. “I understand that there are parts of our community and parts of our state that have been left behind, that have been abandoned, and we need people who are going to have the courage and the backbone to stand up for people who live in those communities.”