Crowley goes from dropping out to winning Wisconsin Democratic nomination

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(The Center Square) – David Crowley went from dropping out of the Wisconsin governor’s race to being the Democratic nominee.

The Milwaukee County Executive holds a more than 3,000-vote lead with 98% of votes reporting and is the projected winner in a close race against state Rep. Francesca Hong, a Democratic socialist, to take on Republican Tom Tiffany in the Nov. 3 general election.

“From day one, this campaign has been about what comes next for Wisconsin: making life more affordable, strengthening our schools, creating good-paying jobs, and making sure opportunity reaches every corner of our state,” Crowley campaign manager Darren Randolph said in a statement.

Crowley becomes the projected winner after absentee votes from Milwaukee County’s Central Count were added to the totals just before 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Hong was a distinct leader in polls heading into the race as Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes dropped out late but remained on ballots.

“The fight continues no matter what,” Hong said before ending her watch party before the Milwaukee County Central Count numbers arrived.

Republican Tom Tiffany was declared the winner of his primary for Wisconsin governor in the minutes after polls closed.

Tiffany held 95.3% of the early votes while opponent Andy Manske had 4.6%.

"I want to thank Wisconsinites across our state for putting their trust in me,” Tiffany said in a statement. “This fight is bigger than any one party. It’s bigger than any one candidate. This fight is about Wisconsin and protecting the state we know and love. It’s about lowering property taxes, returning the surplus to you, getting utility costs under control, and letting hardworking Wisconsinites keep more of what they earn. Let’s move Wisconsin forward, together."