Meet David Crowley, Candidate For Milwaukee County Executive

MILWAUKEE, WI — David Crowley is one of several candidates who will be on the Feb. 18 primary ballot for Milwaukee County Executive.

Crowley currently serves in the Wisconsin State Assembly's 17th District.

Crowley sees the top two issues facing the county as a shortage of much-needed funding, and addressing racial inequities.

"It’s no secret that one of the biggest issues facing Milwaukee County is a lack of resources. Every year we send more and more money to the state, yet the amount we get back continues to decrease," he told Patch. "This is money that we need to carry out the basic services that Milwaukee County is mandated to provide by the state. These services are wanted and needed by the general public, including transportation infrastructure like airports, roads, and freeways; public parks; services for the aged, disabled, and homeless; criminal justice; and many others."

Crowley said he plans to make decisions at the county level through the lens of racial equity.

"On day one, my administration will set out on a full scale effort to remove our community from the top ten list of most segregated communities by the time I leave office. It isn’t just the right thing to do, it is the only way to heal our divided community and move us forward, he said."

Incumbent Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele announced he was not running for re-election, leaving the field open for new candidates to fill the position.

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Name: David Crowley
Age: 33
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI

Occupation: State Representative, Wisconsin’s 17th Assembly District

Please describe your political experience:
My career in public service started while I was still in high school, I served as a
Community Justice Coordinator with Urban Underground, giving me my start in
community organizing. I joined AmeriCorps when I turned 18, and worked with several other community organizations including Project Return and COA Youth and Family Centers. I then moved into government, working as a legislative aide for the Milwaukee County Board and the Wisconsin State Senate.

I was elected in 2016 to serve Wisconsin’s 17th Assembly District, representing almost 60,000 Milwaukee County residents in the State Legislature.

As a legislator, I have built my reputation as a bridge builder, working with legislators from both sides of the aisle to pass legislation that benefits not only the residents of my district, but people across Milwaukee County and the entire State of Wisconsin.

In the State Assembly, I sit on the Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Small Business Development, Workforce Development, Transportation, and Jobs and Economy Committees. I’m the Chair of the Milwaukee Caucus, the Chair of the Black Caucus and the co-Chair of the Black and Latino Caucus.

Please talk about the top 1 or 2 leading issues in your campaign and how you plan to approach them if elected:

Bringing more resources to Milwaukee County - It’s no secret that one of the biggest issues facing Milwaukee County is a lack of resources. Every year we send more and more money to the state, yet the amount we get back continues to decrease.

This is money that we need to carry out the basic services that Milwaukee County is mandated to provide by the state. These services are wanted and needed by the general public, including transportation infrastructure like airports, roads, and freeways; public parks; services for the aged, disabled, and homeless; criminal justice; and many others.

We have to get creative about how we generate more resources at the county
level without burdening the middle class. While I fully support the sales tax increase that has been proposed, we have to be realistic about the current situation in the Legislature.

So long as this is only a Milwaukee issue, it is not going to pass. We need to build relationships with counties and municipalities across the state and approach the need for more revenue as a 72 county issue, not just a Milwaukee issue.

Communities all across our state are struggling with the same problems and it’s time that we work together to address this issue. We also have to get creative about how we generate more resources at the county level.

When elected, I will establish a county office dedicated solely to seeking out grant funding and other resources that may be available to the county. This office will target state, federal and foundation resources that other places are tapping, but we are currently leaving on the table.

Additionally, the number of people counted in the 2020 census will have a direct impact on the amount of funding that Milwaukee County receives from the federal government. We will need to be very deliberate in how we approach next year’s census.

The next County Executive will be elected just a few days after the Census begins and making sure that every single Milwaukee County resident is counted must be a top priority of the new County Executive when they take office.

Each person counted equates to real dollars for our community for the next ten years and we cannot take this lightly.

Eliminating racial inequities - I will build on the work that County Executive Abele and the County Board have started in addressing racial inequities in our community, making sure that decisions made at the county level will be made through a lens of racial equity.

Every year, the Milwaukee metropolitan area is listed at, or near, the top of a list of the most segregated communities in the country. This is an annual punch in the gut and a reminder of how far we still need to go. As a community, we can no longer accept this.

On day one, my administration will set out on a full scale effort to remove our community from the top ten list of most segregated communities by the time I leave office. It isn’t just the right thing to do, it is the only way to heal our divided community and move us forward.

An interesting fact about me:

My third daughter, Autumn, was born on November 5th, one day after I announced my candidacy for Milwaukee County Executive.