Former Department of Administration head Joel Brennan insisted he was staying in the Democratic primary for governor until the end, speaking at a July 17 news conference where he also appeared to question the electability of the two apparent frontrunners, Rep. Francesca Hong and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes.
Asked if Barnes or Hong could beat Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November, Brennan said, “If we spend the fall defending comments that people have made around defunding the police or abolishing the police, I think that makes it very much more difficult for us to be on the offensive. It makes it very much more difficult for us to win in the fall,” Brennan said.
Flanked by family and neighbors at a basketball court near his home in Milwaukee, Brennan said the dynamics of the race have shifted since Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez’ announcement earlier Friday that she was suspending her campaign after financial mismanagement came to light on July 12.
“I am committed to continuing in this race,” Brennan said. “I have felt in the last several days more momentum behind me than almost at any time since I first started this race.”
In the wake of the Rodriguez campaign’s collapse, Brennan emphasized his managerial experience as the head of the state Department of Administration and later at the helm of the Greater Milwaukee Committee. His background stands out in a field “very light on executive experience” and “light on accomplishment,” he said.
Brennan highlighted his campaign’s transparency and called on all the other candidates to follow suit, releasing any potentially damaging opposition research that might prove a liability in November.
“I don’t think as Democrats that we can afford to put people up on the ballot in the fall who may have the liabilities that would have us not talking about the issues that are most important to people,” he said.
Democratic Party sources have told the Journal Sentinel that Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley is considering reentering the race just days after dropping out and endorsing Rodriguez. Gov. Tony Evers, who so far has refused to intervene in the campaign, is said to be considering an endorsement of Crowley.
Asked why his former boss had not endorsed him, Brennan said Evers had told him he would not be getting involved.
“We’re all friends,” Brennan said of the candidates. “[Evers] told me at the outset of this campaign that he probably wasn’t going to be engaged in this race.”
Asked whether he would suspend his campaign if Evers endorsed Crowley, Brennan would not say whether he would consider dropping, but reiterated his respect for Evers.
“I take whatever Governor Evers says seriously,” Brennan said.
Asked whether there was any scenario under which he would drop out before primary day, Brennan emphasized the uncertainty of the campaign.
“Things change in the race. I’m not sure that the field is set for where it’s going to be,” he said.
Brennan said he had left a voicemail and texts for Evers, as well as Crowley, in recent days, but had not heard back.
“I haven’t had a conversation with him about where he is in this race in the last few days,” Brennan said of Evers. “I put in a call to him today when the landscape changed with the field just this morning, and I hope to hear back from him.”
Brennan said he has “great respect” for Crowley and did not think he should be disqualified for having already dropped out of the race.
“Candidates decide when it’s time to go and when it’s time to pull the plug,” Brennan said.
In addition to Brennan, Barnes and Hong, state Sen. Kelda Roys also continues to campaign.
For his part, Brennan signaled determination to stay in the race.
“I have never wavered on the fact that I am going to be in this race, and I am going to push through this race to the end,” Brennan said. “Residents in Wisconsin need to know that they’re going to have somebody who has not only demonstrated over the course of a career that they’re going to be there, but has the vision, the fortitude, the courage to face up to what we need to face up to this fall and moving forward.”
Brennan said he expected his campaign would be back on the airwaves shortly with more advertisements.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Joel Brennan staying in the race, seems to criticize Hong and Barnes
Reporting by Zachary Suri, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Zachary Suri, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
