‘Tonight, Wisconsin made history!’: David Crowley gives rousing acceptance speech

The Wisconsin governor-elect opened up about his humble beginnings and intentions to unite his state during his acceptance speech.

After winning Wisconsin’s gubernatorial race and becoming the state’s first Black governor-elect, David Crowley is standing in gratitude. 

On Tuesday, Nov. 3, shortly after he won just before midnight, the governor-elect gave a rousing acceptance speech about his intentions to unify his state, who helped him get here along the way, and how grateful he is for the honor.

He kicked off his remarks by thanking his wife, Ericka, for helping him through this campaign; his daughters, Alyssa, Ava, and Autumn; his late mother, Valrie; and campaign staff, volunteers, and poll workers, who all helped make this moment happen.

“Tonight, Wisconsin made history,” he said. 

“Being your next governor is humbling in its own right,” he continued. “I don’t take any of this light, and I know exactly the shoulders that I stand on. And I want to say thank you for placing your faith in me.”

He added, “I stand here tonight—I stand here tonight with deep gratitude, believing more than ever that what unites us as Wisconsinites is so much bigger than what divides us.”

The historic win arrived on a night that saw a whole new class of Black history-making governors, including Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia and Stacey Plaskett in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Throughout his remarks, Crowley, who has served as Milwaukee County executive since 2020, celebrated the significance while also reflecting on humble beginnings.

The 40-year-old Milwaukee native opened up about growing up in poverty, recalling nights when his family struggled to put food on the table and days when he couldn’t afford bus fare to school.

“I grew up in one of those families, not knowing if there would be a roof over your head, or if the next doctor’s bill will wipe away your finances, hoping that someone in charge would give families like ours a fighting chance,” he expressed.

It’s those experiences, he said, that were going into his pledge to fight for Wisconsin families facing similar circumstances as he outlined plans to lower housing, utility, and child care costs, provide property tax relief, and improve access to affordable healthcare.

“So to all those families who are watching tonight, I see you, I hear you, I was you, and now I’m going to fight for you each and every single day,” he declared. 

As his remarks came to a close, the governor-elect reiterated his message of unity, urging Wisconsinites to set aside their political differences and serve as an example to the rest of the country.

“We are not a red state or blue state; we are not defined by rural and urban,” he said, adding, “We are one people, one Wisconsin, and tonight, we choose to move forward together.”