Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the Democratic nominee for Wisconsin governor, has not stated support for unauthorized immigrants convicted of violent crimes.
U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate in the Nov. 3 election, stated that Crowley “said he will be … an accomplice for illegal aliens that commit violent crimes.”
Crowley had been asked how he would make Wisconsin “more immigrant friendly.” He said he opposes police assisting federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) because it discourages unauthorized immigrants from reporting crimes, then said: “And when it comes down to the immigrants, I’m not an ally, I’m an accomplice.”
Crowley has said he would not change Milwaukee County sheriff policy of not assisting immigration officials in the jail. He has criticized ICEarrests at the county courthouse. The county has lobbied to provide state funding of immigrant legal services. He said he supports deportation for criminal convictions.
This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Since launching their campaigns for Wisconsin governor, both Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany and Democratic Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley have touted the concept of local control.
Each argues that communities deserve “a seat at the table” in matters of commercial and industrial land use, but their records as public servants illustrate contrasts about when competing local and state interests should carry the day.
“I want to get Madison out of the way where it makes sense,” Tiffany told attendees of the annual Wisconsin Counties Association conference in September. “Local officials understand their communities, and state government should be working with them rather than creating additional obstacles.”
Yet Tiffany is an architect of some of the most consequential environmental regulatory rewriting of the past 15 years, stripping municipalities of several powers to regulate shoreland development and mining in their own backyards.
Crowley has worked with the state to address Milwaukee County’s budget issues. Just a few years ago, Milwaukee County was heading for a “fiscal cliff,” the culmination of a decades-long pension scandal.
Without state intervention and the “tools to raise additional revenue and fund local priorities,” the county would face “tough decisions,” Crowley wrote in 2022. The following year, the Legislature authorized Milwaukee County to increase its local sales tax rate by almost half a percentage point.
Neither candidate has offered many specifics in their campaign pitches, and neither campaign responded to requests for comment.
But their policymaking records offer some clues.
During Tiffany’s time in the Wisconsin Legislature and Congress, he has conveyed a general desire to get the state and federal government “out of the way” of local decision-making. Crowley’s time as a county executive and state Assembly member highlights his support for public spending on property development and the creation of minimum environmental standards to protect public health.
Local control and mining operations
Crowley has argued for “a case-by-case” treatment of mining projects without staking a claim over the industry’s merits.
Still, he continues to push for amassing consensus and would not rule out allowing new mining permits before consulting with local communities.
In January, when a PBS reporter asked him to explain how he would respond to new mining permit requests, Crowley said he would convene a work group of experts to obtain the best information possible.
“It’s about working with the local municipalities, working with the groups and the stakeholders that are on the ground,” he said.
Comparatively, Tiffany’s time in the Wisconsin Senate from 2013 through 2020 saw him take up the mantle of getting the miner, emblazoned on the Great Seal of the State of Wisconsin, back to work. He ushered in several bills intended to loosen restrictions that businesses said stymied economic growth.
The first of several successful proposals started with the 2013 reworking of the state’s iron mining law, which instructed regulators to start the mining permitting process on the presumption that some environmental damage to wetlands is a necessary operating condition of the industry.
Supporters maintained the reforms assured developers they could expect regulatory certainty and expeditious review of new projects.
A few years later, prompted by a bill Tiffany co-authored, the Legislature lifted the state’s moratorium on sulfide mining, which can release toxins, and stopped requiring companies to prove they could successfully operate and close sulfide mines elsewhere in the United States or Canada without polluting the environment.
Tiffany also sought to curb local authority too when regulations posed risks to obstructing economic development.
Two 2013 bills proposed restricting local governments’ ability to regulate nonmetallic mining, including frac sand operations, and would have prohibited them from creating water quality and air quality standards, permits, restrictions and monitoring requirements.
Tiffany told Wisconsin Watch at the time that some local units of government are “trying to establish mini-DNRs,” by conducting their own air and water testing. “That’s the purview of the state,” he said.
The contentious proposal didn’t make it to the chamber floor for a vote.
Local control and land acquisition
In 2015, Tiffany co-sponsored legislation that took the opposite view on local control in the context of land acquisition.
Republicans and Democrats have long clashed on how to finance the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program. The fund enables the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to purchase private land and easements for habitat preservation and recreation or issue grants to organizations or municipalities to do the same.
Both Tiffany and Crowley say they support allocating money for the program, but Tiffany has long expressed reservations about its focus on purchasing new property.
In 2015, Tiffany sought to curb state authority by requiring the Wisconsin DNR to obtain approval from every municipality and the county in which the property is located before acquiring new properties. The bill didn’t advance to a vote. Tiffany now says he would fund the program so long as the dollars maintain existing public lands.
Crowley has said repeatedly he supports strengthening the program, drawing parallels to his support for county lands.
In the last five Milwaukee County budget cycles, he recommended county leaders spend tens of millions of dollars on parks and trails, drainage infrastructure and waterfront protection.
In other environmental areas, Crowley also has reined in local control by creating baseline standards. As a state legislator, he backed bills that would have imposed statewide requirements for mandatory lead testing and inspections and restricted the ability of municipalities to privatize their public water or sewer utilities.
Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our newsletters for original stories and our Friday news roundup.
We’ve already recapped key takeaways. Here, we use data to examine how the candidates spent their time, which topics drew the most attention and how they criticized each other.
School funding dominated the debate
Each candidate spent over four minutes explaining his take on school funding, including positions on private school vouchers, making it the debate’s most covered topic. Taxes ranked second, with candidates covering several issues: income taxes, state budget surpluses and property taxes.
The two candidates spent roughly the same amount of time on most topics. One notable exception came when Tiffany spent three minutes and 37 seconds — two minutes more than Crowley — explaining why he voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election results.
“One of the reasons that I did that is Zuckerbucks,” Tiffany said. “If you remember, Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook billionaire, he put $15 million into Wisconsin, and so he was trying to privatize our elections via electioneering. The people of the state of Wisconsin rejected that a few years later.”
“Zuckerbucks” refers to grants funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, that helped local election officials run elections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Wisconsin voters approved a constitutional amendment banning private funding for election administration in April 2024, after Republicans argued the grants disproportionately benefited Democratic strongholds.
Crowley spent more time attacking Tiffany
Although Tiffany spoke for about 200 seconds longer overall, he spent much of that time explaining and defending his own positions.
Crowley, by contrast, took a more aggressive approach, spending about four minutes more than Tiffany in directly criticizing his opponent.
For this analysis, we classified a statement as an attack when a candidate criticized his opponent or made him the subject of a statement.
Crowley spent the longest time criticizing Tiffany’s positions on taxation, school funding and border control.
“We’re talking about somebody who actually supported the elimination of the United States Department of Education. We’re talking about someone who, when he served as a senator, voted for one of the largest cuts to our UW systems as well as K-12 through education,” Crowley said. “I went to Milwaukee Public Schools. My daughters go to public schools, and I know that they need an increase in funding from the state of Wisconsin because of the fact that we have been dealing with decades of cuts ever since he was in the Legislature.”
Tiffany spent the most time criticizing Crowley when discussing how Crowley would appeal to those who voted for democratic socialist Francesca Hong in the Democratic primary.
“What he said about a week or two before the primaries, he said there was very little difference between he and Francesca Hong,” Tiffany said. “In fact, one of the only things he could think of is that he was supportive of data centers.”
The candidates spent similar amounts of time criticizing one another’s records on data centers — less than a minute each.The candidates spent roughly 50 seconds apiece criticizing their opponents’ record on data centers.
Crowley accused Tiffany of supporting tax breaks for data center operators. (Tiffany voted for President Donald Trump’s tax and spending package that included broad tax breaks benefiting data center developers along with many other businesses, but lawmakers did not specifically vote on a data center tax break.)
Tiffany countered by criticizing Crowley’s past support for subsidies and calling Crowley’s proposal to power data centers with wind and solar energy unrealistic.
Word clouds show how the candidates framed their attacks
A word cloud shows words candidates used most in the Oct. 21, 2026 gubernatorial debate when they speaking with an aggressive tone. (Hongyu Liu / Wisconsin Watch)
After we removed verbal fillers and words used to address the other candidate, the word cloud of attacks shows that Tiffany used the word “taxes” the most often when criticizing Crowley. This reflected Tiffany’s argument that Crowley’s policies would increase tax burdens on Wisconsinites.
“Taxes have went up every single year that David Crowley has been county executive,” Tiffany said. “You know what he’s going to do as governor.”
Crowley most often used the word “work” when attacking Tiffany, repeatedly questioning Tiffany’s track record in following Trump’s decisions and whether Tiffany would represent Wisconsinites if elected.
A word cloud shows words candidates used most in the Oct. 21, 2026 gubernatorial debate when they speaking with a defensive tone. (Hongyu Liu / Wisconsin Watch)
“Congressman Tom Tiffany, it doesn’t sound like you want to work for the small guys,” Crowley said after Tiffany said he was open to raising income limits on private school vouchers. “It sounds like you want to work for those who have the money and have the means to continue to pay their way. This is what this election is about.”
The pattern was less pronounced in the word cloud analyzing defensive statements. Tiffany most often said the word “Wisconsin” while Crowley’s most frequently used word was again “work.”
How we analyzed the debate
Wisconsin Watch transcribed the gubernatorial debate audio through Parakeet MLX, an automatic speech recognition model, then used the artificial intelligence tool Pyannote to assign each line in the transcript to a speaker. Automated transcription and speaker recognition can produce errors, which may affect the results.
We manually reviewed the transcript to correct as many speaker-identification errors as possible. We also tagged each line spoken by the candidates by topic and tone. We categorized a line as “aggressive” if a candidate referred to his opponent as the subject of a sentence or otherwise clearly criticized him. We categorized all other statements as “defensive.”
We calculated speech duration using the transcript’s start and end time stamps.
The SpaCy tokenization algorithm we used to generate the word cloud misidentified “taxes” as “taxis,” so we manually corrected that error.
With less than two weeks until Election Day and early voting already underway, Wisconsin’s gubernatorial candidates met for the only televised debate. Both attacked their opponent’s biggest weaknesses and provided further insight into how they would govern.
Democrat David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, and Republican Tom Tiffany, who represents the 7th Congressional District in northern Wisconsin, are competing in the first open race for governor since 2010 after Democratic Gov. Tony Evers did not seek a third term.
In a midterm year when the national environment favors Democrats, Marquette University Law School polling has shown a close contest between Crowley and Tiffany. The most recent poll in late September showed Crowley leading within the margin of error 49% to 46% among likely voters with about 5% still undecided. The next Marquette poll is scheduled for release Oct. 28.
The debate, held at the law school Wednesday with only news media in attendance, arrived on Wisconsin’s second day of in-person early voting. More than 55,000 people cast their ballots on the first day, up from more than 33,000 at the same time ahead of the last gubernatorial race in 2022, according to data from the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
Here are some key takeaways from Wednesday night’s debate.
Crowley was on the attack
Crowley used any opening in the debate to criticize Tiffany for his votes in Congress in support of President Donald Trump and the millions in campaign funding Tiffany received from GOP megadonors.
Early in the debate, Crowley pointed to Tiffany’s votes against ending U.S. military involvement in the Iran war and blocking the president’s tariffs to suggest the congressman doesn’t care about lowering costs for Wisconsinites.
“We don’t need what is happening in Washington, D.C., coming into the state of Wisconsin,” Crowley said. “It is very clear that he is working for Donald Trump and the billionaires who are funding his campaign.”
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley addresses the moderators during a gubernatorial debate at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Oct. 21, 2026. (Andy Manis for Wisconsin Watch)
Campaign finance reports from July through September show Tiffany’s largest donor was the Republican Party of Wisconsin, which received nearly 95% of its $29 million in donations from billionaires Diane Hendricks, the founder of ABC Supply Co., and Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, who founded the Uline shipping supplies company. The next campaign finance report deadline, which will show the candidates’ financial position ahead of Election Day, is Monday.
Tiffany, who was endorsed by Trump earlier this year, attempted to separate himself from the president, who is unpopular in Wisconsin ahead of Election Day. The September Marquette poll found just 38% of registered voters approve of Trump’s job in his second term.
“While my opponent, you can see early on in the debate, is consistently focused on being against Donald Trump, I’m for Wisconsin,” Tiffany said.
More insight on how Crowley, Tiffany would govern
The moderators from WISN-TV in Milwaukee pressed Crowley and Tiffany for more details on the campaign promises they’ve made while traveling the state over the last year.
Tiffany has called for returning Wisconsin’s $3 billion surplus to taxpayers. During the debate, Tiffany explained that he would do that through “long-term” reductions in property and income taxes. In remarks after the debate, Tiffany added he would not support one-time rebates, which were part of the failed bipartisan surplus deal Evers and Republican legislative leaders negotiated earlier this year. Tiffany opposed that plan.
“The one thing that I don’t want to do is just one-time rebates,” Tiffany said after the debate. “I want it to be long-term, lasting tax relief, so people in Wisconsin can plan, so they can plan their futures.”
Tiffany said he opposes raising transportation user fees, instituting tolls or indexing the gas tax to inflation. Crowley said he would be open to new user fees and that the state should be open to tolling to fund transportation projects, but he also opposed indexing the gas tax, which was discontinued in 2006.
U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Hazelhurst, addresses the moderators during a gubernatorial debate at Marquette University Oct. 21, 2026. (Andy Manis for Wisconsin Watch)
Crowley reiterated his position from the primary that he would not eliminate the Milwaukee school voucher program and said he would keep the statewide program in place.
“I will work with the Legislature,” Crowley said. “But as of this moment, we are not in a position to push all of these children towards any of our public schools.”
Asked if he would sign a bill to eliminate income limits on school vouchers, Tiffany said he would have to take a look at it if elected.
“I would be willing to raise those income limits,” Tiffany said. “But I would sit down and take a look at where we should move them at this time.”
Crowley noted the voucher program was originally intended to help low-income Milwaukee students, but the statewide program has allowed families who could already afford to send their children to private school to receive a taxpayer subsidy.
Crowley explains data center policy shifts
On data centers, Tiffany pointed out that Crowley in the past week changed his position on the state’s sales tax exemption for data centers, which is worth some $2 billion.
“Why would some of the wealthiest companies in the world need subsidies from the taxpayers of Wisconsin?” said Tiffany, who has campaigned on repealing data center tax breaks.
Crowley now says he would sign legislation, proposed by Republicans, to repeal the sales tax exemption. Previously he said he would review the exemption.
Candidates stick to their positions on abortion
Tiffany said he would not sign a “fetal heartbeat bill,” which would ban abortions once a heartbeat is detected, if it reaches his desk. Tiffany voted for Wisconsin’s current abortion ban after 20 weeks when he was in the Legislature and he said he would maintain that “middle ground” in the abortion debate.
Crowley did not directly answer whether he would sign a bill that legalized abortion with no gestational limits and said he did not believe such a bill would reach his desk if he is elected. He has proposed a constitutional amendment, which would need the support of the Legislature, that would protect the right to an abortion.
“These are discussions that need to be made between a doctor and a patient,” Crowley said. “When you think about any type of abortion past the 20 week, it’s usually dealing with extreme circumstances.”
Fact-checking the debate
Both candidates repeated claims that Wisconsin Watch has found to be inaccurate.
Tiffany claimed during the debate that Crowley “wants to remove half of the prison inmates here in Wisconsin.” Crowley has voiced support for cutting Wisconsin’s prison population in half over time using a variety of means, such as legalizing marijuana and funding jail diversion programs.
Crowley claimed Tiffany “provided the tax breaks to the big tech companies who are steamrolling our communities today with these data centers.” The tax cuts were part of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill and applied to a multitude of companies across sectors. They were not specifically for tech companies or data centers, as Crowley had previously claimed.
U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, right, R-Hazelhurst, addresses the moderator during a gubernatorial debate at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Oct. 21, 2026. (Andy Manis for Wisconsin Watch)
Clashing closing statements
Each candidate had a minute to give a closing statement. Crowley highlighted the contrast between himself and Tiffany, while Tiffany recounted his recent emergency plane landing experience. Here’s each candidate’s entire statement:
Crowley: “I’m running to be your governor because Wisconsin families are working harder than ever and still falling behind. And I get it. I grew up in a working-class family, and I’m raising three amazing daughters. Congressman Tom Tiffany, he doesn’t get it. He went to Washington and he sold Wisconsin out. He went to go work for Donald Trump and the billionaires bankrolling him. They got tax breaks. You got higher bills. They got tariffs. You got higher prices. They got their endless war. You got record high gas prices. This election is about who your governor works for. If Congressman Tom Tiffany becomes our governor, he’s going to work for them, not for you, just like he did in Washington, voting with Donald Trump 100% of the time. But me, I’ll work for you. I’ll lower your costs. I’ll expand health care. I’ll make sure we can improve our schools and bring people together to get it done. That’s why I’m asking for your vote. Thank you, and go Brewers.”
Tiffany: “It was a month ago that a plane that I was in had to make an emergency landing on Lake Wausau and run up to the airport. And as the pilot and I exited that plane, he dialed 911. From the time that call hit dispatch in downtown Wausau to the boat picking us up in the middle of Lake Wausau was 16 minutes. Only 16 minutes. I remember hearing after we made the call that you could hear the sirens and then you could see the lights, but it only took them 16 minutes. Ladies and gentlemen, I saw the best of Wisconsin that night. As your next governor, I’m going to make sure you see the best of Wisconsin. I hope to earn your vote to lead this state.”
Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our newsletters for original stories and our Friday news roundup.
While a Wisconsin state senator, Tom Tiffany voted for state budgets that funded the state Department of Corrections — not for computer tablets the department made available to prison inmates.
Tiffany’s votes were raised by Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the Democratic nominee in the Nov. 3 election for governor.
Crowley has been criticized for approving tablets for county jail inmates.
In response, Crowley claimed that Tiffany, now the Republican gubernatorial nominee and congressman, “voted for these types of iPads.”
Tiffany voted for the 2017-19 and 2019-21 state budgets. They contained thousands of provisions across numerous departments.
In2018, Corrections made tablets available to inmates to purchase.
The Legislature did not take votes on the tablet program.
This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
On Wednesday night, the candidates for Wisconsin governor will face off in their only debate ahead of the Nov. 3 election — and based on how the campaign has gone so far, a lot of claims and accusations will fly.
To help voters sort through the noise, Wisconsin Watch and our partners at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel have been fact-checking claims about the candidates.
Do you know whether Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the Democratic nominee, supports releasing half of Wisconsin’s prison population, or whether homicides have increased 57% under his watch?
How about U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican nominee? Do you know whether he voted to defund the police or for a $68 billion tax break for data centers?
Before you watch the debate at 7 p.m. Wednesday on WISN.com, read on to know the facts.
And before you vote, check out our other Fact Briefs and our comprehensive voter guide too.
No. Tiffany cited Crowley’s 2019 support for Gov. Tony Evers’ goal as support for his claim that Crowley “wants to let half the prison population out in Wisconsin.” Evers’ goal was aimed at gradually achieving the 50% reduction.
No. The number of juvenile homicide victims in Milwaukee County has ranged between 19 and 27 annually, with no clear trend upward or downward, since Crowley took office. Plus, most law enforcement in the county is done by city and village police departments; they are not under the control of the county executive.
Yes. Milwaukee County sales and property taxes have increased while Crowley has been county executive, though property taxes have increased less than the statewide average.
Yes. Crowley gave final approval to a 2022 contract requested by the Sheriff’s Office and approved by the Board of Supervisors that provides communication tablets to inmates and approved a three-year extension in 2025.
No. Congress did not vote up-or-down on giving data center operators a $68 billion tax break. An attack ad cited Tiffany’s vote for the Big Beautiful Bill Act. It contains business tax breaks, including 100% depreciation, but they are available broadly, including for data centers, to deduct the cost of many investments.
Yes. Both have emphasized how they would regulate artificial intelligence data centers, but they also have spoken favorably of them. Crowley: Wisconsin can “become an AI and a data hub not only for the entire country, but for the entire globe.” Tiffany: Data centers are “exciting new technology.”
Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our newsletters for original stories and our Friday news roundup.
This article is part of the Cap Times series Deadly Divide, investigating Wisconsin’s ongoing Black infant mortality crisis. Erin McGroarty reported this story as a USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism 2026 National Fellow and a participant in the Center’s engagement initiative.
David Crowley leads the largest county in Wisconsin, which regularly ranks among the worst states in the nation for its Black infant mortality rate.
A majority of those deaths typically are concentrated in Crowley’s county, in central Milwaukee ZIP codes.
This crisis isn’t just a policy priority, the Democratic candidate for governor told the Cap Times. It’s a measure of whether Wisconsin can consider itself a success.
Crowley provided those insights in response to a questionnaire from the Cap Times, where health reporter Erin McGroarty is investigating the state’s long-standing status as one of the deadliest states for Black newborns.
U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican nominee for governor, did not complete the questionnaire or respond to multiple emails and phone calls over a seven-week period requesting responses.
The Cap Times has been unable to locate any public statements by Tiffany’s campaign about Black infant health in Wisconsin.
Crowley’s responses to the questionnaire can be found below.
Some responses have been edited for brevity.
Do you consider Black infant mortality a public health priority in Wisconsin?
Black infant mortality is not only a public health priority — it is one of the clearest measures of whether our systems work for every family.
Changing that requires looking beyond hospitals and clinics to include access to maternal health care, doulas, community health workers, stable housing, paid family and medical leave and economic security.
Wisconsin has long known about this disparity. We need sustained commitment to change it.
Would you support policies to improve access to early and consistent prenatal care for Black mothers and others who struggle to access these services?
I would expand access to early and consistent prenatal care through Medicaid. I also support greater access to care through paid family and medical leave, transportation, telehealth, group prenatal care and postpartum home visits.
In 2026, the Wisconsin Legislature passed a bill later signed into law by Gov. Tony Evers to extend the period of time Medicaid covers postpartum care for mothers. Do you support expanding or further modifying Wisconsin’s Medicaid program to improve maternal and infant health?
Yes. However, maternal health begins long before pregnancy. Chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mental health needs often go untreated for years, driving poor birth outcomes and maternal mortality. Expanding health care coverage through a public option is foundational for improving outcomes.
Wisconsin must strengthen maternal health benefits throughout pregnancy and the postpartum year. I support coverage for doulas, community health workers, dental health, nutrition, postpartum home visits and mental health and substance use screening and treatment. Coverage must translate into actual care, requiring stronger reimbursement and provider participation — especially in rural and underserved communities.
Would you support or propose policy to improve access to maternal mental health services, including screening and treatment for postpartum depression and other complications?
Maternal mental health must be treated as a core part of prenatal and postpartum care. I would expand access to routine screening, timely referral and treatment for postpartum depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and other complications. Medicaid and private insurance should cover these services, including telehealth, home-based support and care delivered through doulas and community health workers. Wisconsin should also expand successful community-based efforts such as the First Breath perinatal care pilot and improve coordination, so families are not left to navigate complex systems on their own.
Do you support initiatives to recruit, train and retain a more diverse maternal and infant health workforce?
A maternal and infant health workforce that reflects the communities it serves can strengthen trust, communication and continuity of care. I would build on the Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce recommendations by expanding education and apprenticeship pathways, scholarships and loan repayment, clinical placements in underserved communities, and support for community-based doula and community health worker careers. Recruitment must be paired with fair compensation, supportive workplaces and clear advancement opportunities so Wisconsin can retain the people it trains.
What role should hospitals and health systems play in reducing racial disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes? Would you support statewide quality improvement initiatives or reporting requirements?
Hospitals and health systems should be accountable partners in eliminating racial disparities. They can leverage existing health assessment and improvement-planning processes to identify needs and improve population health. Wisconsin should strengthen this infrastructure so inequities are not hidden within statewide averages.
This requires consistent public reporting of maternal and infant health outcomes by race and geography, strong alignment between local and state efforts, and measurable goals. In addition, hospitals should partner directly with communities to set priorities and design solutions.
Ultimately, quality improvement must be measured by change. When assessments reveal racial disparities, institutions must shift resources to improve outcomes.
Should state government address non-medical factors such as housing stability, nutrition, transportation, environmental exposures and economic opportunity that affect infant and maternal health?
Housing, income, transportation, environmental conditions, food security, paid leave, and child care are maternal and infant health issues because they shape the conditions in which people experience pregnancy, recover from childbirth and raise their children.
I support coordinated investments in affordable housing, nutrition, transportation, environmental protections, paid family and medical leave, affordable child care, and economic security. If we are serious about improving maternal and infant health, we have to invest not only in health care, but in the conditions that make health possible.
Wisconsin does not have an infant death review board as it does for maternal deaths. Do you support creating such a board?
Wisconsin should establish an infant death review system that complements the existing maternal mortality review process. Many states establish a local process, which is a national best practice. Regardless, the process should examine medical and non-medical contributing factors, identify preventable patterns, protect family privacy and issue regular public recommendations. The goal should be learning and prevention — not blame — and the board should include clinicians, public health professionals, community representatives, and people with lived experience.
If elected, would you support specific funding priorities in a state budget to reduce Black infant mortality?
My budget priorities include expanding health coverage, doula and community health worker reimbursement, nurse home visiting, maternal mental health services, prenatal care access, telehealth, paid family leave, and grants for community-led birth equity programs.
Reducing Black infant mortality requires us to be intentional about racial disparities, but these investments also improve outcomes for all Wisconsin families.
Would you support state funding for services such as community health workers or access to doulas care?
Community health workers and doulas provide trusted, culturally responsive support before, during and after birth. I would fund these services through Medicaid reimbursement and sustainable state grants that reflect the true cost of providing these services. Funding should include family-supporting compensation, benefits and training for these workers — not require workers or community organizations to subsidize essential health care through underpaid or uncompensated labor.
Families should be able to choose CHW and doula support without cost or geography becoming a barrier, and the people providing support should be able to build sustainable careers doing this work.
Would you be willing to set measurable goals during your term to reduce Black infant mortality and improve birth outcomes? How would the public know whether your policies are working?
I would establish clear statewide goals to improve maternal and infant health outcomes for all Wisconsin families, with specific goals for reducing Black infant mortality and narrowing persistent racial disparities in birth outcomes.
Those goals should include interim benchmarks developed in partnership with DHS, local health departments, health systems, tribal nations, community organizations, and families. The state should publish an annual dashboard reporting infant mortality, preterm birth, low birth weight, prenatal care access, postpartum follow-up, and other key measures by race and geography.
The public should see where outcomes are improving, where disparities persist and how state investments are performing.
Are there any other state policies or additional funding you believe would improve access to maternal care and decrease infant mortality disparities?
Improving maternal care also requires investments in the conditions that shape health before and after birth. I would support policies that strengthen housing stability, food security, transportation, environmental health, paid leave, child care, and early education. I would also expand access to telehealth and community-based care so rural families and families facing transportation or provider shortages can receive consistent support.
Ultimately, reducing infant mortality requires both a strong health care system and policies that give families the resources and stability necessary to be healthy.
Describe an issue on which you would be willing to work across party lines to improve maternal and infant health.
I would work across party lines to create a statewide infant death review system and expand evidence-based home visiting, doula care and rural maternal health services. These are practical steps that can improve care, identify preventable causes of infant death and give policymakers better information about where resources are needed. Maternal and infant health should be an area where legislators can set politics aside and focus on results for families.
Explain your overall vision for ensuring that every baby born in Wisconsin has an equal opportunity for a healthy start in life, regardless of race or ZIP code.
Every baby born in Wisconsin should have an equal opportunity for a healthy start — but that work begins long before a baby is born.
Healthy pregnancies are shaped across the life course: by whether people can access health care before pregnancy, whether families have stable housing and economic security, whether parents can take paid time to recover and care for a newborn, and whether communities have trusted providers and resources close to home.
My vision is a Wisconsin that improves maternal and infant health for everyone while being intentional about eliminating the racial and geographic disparities that have persisted for far too long. Those goals are not in competition. Many of the investments that can help close the Black infant mortality gap … can strengthen families across our state, including rural communities facing significant health care shortages.
Families and communities should help shape these solutions and government should be accountable for results. We should publicly measure whether outcomes are improving, whether disparities are closing and whether our investments are reaching the people who need them most.
A healthy start should not depend on a family’s race, income, employer or ZIP code. Wisconsin has both the responsibility and the ability to build the conditions in which every family can thrive.
In a governor’s race that has focused more on data center construction than artificial intelligence technology, Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Crowley on Tuesday announced a plan for state regulations on AI aimed at protecting vulnerable Wisconsinites.
In an 11-point plan shared with Wisconsin Watch, Crowley calls for guardrails on AI offerings for minors and holding technology companies responsible for scams and fraud on their platforms. Some key components of the plan include:
Limiting access to AI chatbot apps for children under 13.
Prohibiting addictive design features, such as infinite scrolling and autoplay, on accounts of minors.
Increasing penalties for circulating AI-generated sexual images of minors.
Allowing families to sue AI platforms if their content harms children, such as by promoting suicide or eating disorders.
Penalizing technology companies that profit from scams or fraudulent ads.
More funding for adult protective services and resource centers that can help victims of scams or fraud.
Crowley, the Milwaukee county executive, is running for governor against Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in what polling from Marquette University Law School shows could be another close governor’s race in Wisconsin. AI policy debates between the two candidates in the months since the August primary have mostly been focused on the planning and construction of AI data centers, rather than the technology itself.
In a statement, Tiffany also said Wisconsin needs “commonsense guardrails” to protect children and older adults, including holding companies accountable for platforms that allow creation of sexually explicit images or engage minors in inappropriate chatbot conversations. Tiffany said he also wants to prevent personal data from “falling into the hands of foreign adversaries, including Communist China.”
“As governor, I will also support commonsense age-verification requirements for app providers, strengthen parental-consent protections, and give parents greater control over their children’s online activity,” Tiffany said.
Crowley’s proposed state-level AI regulations land as President Donald Trump has dismissed calls for guardrails and warnings from technology company leaders asking for government oversight as their platforms become more advanced.
Trump in May 2025 signed the Take it Down Act, which criminalized the online publication of real and AI-generated intimate images and requires social media platforms to remove them once notified of their existence. Tiffany, and the rest of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation, voted for the bill in 2025.
Other proposed federal legislation has not advanced, including bills requiring public reporting of safety incidents by AI companies and requiring labels on any AI-generated content. Crowley in a statement said he would not “wait around for DC to act” on additional AI regulations if he is elected.
“Like so many parents, Ericka and I are raising our three girls in the age of social media and AI, and we’re navigating things no generation before us has ever had to, worrying about whether a stranger is messaging our kids, or a fake picture of our daughter is going around school, or even scammers trying to drain a grandparent’s life savings,” Crowley said.
The proposals in Crowley’s regulatory plan would require state legislative action. They echo recent bipartisan efforts signed into law by Gov. Tony Evers, including a series of bills that classified sextortion as a crime and provided additional recourse for victims and their families.
Additionally, Attorney General Josh Kaul in August announced Wisconsin could receive up to $313 million in a settlement social media company Meta made with 47 states in a case that alleged addictive components of its platforms threatened teens’ mental health.
Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our newsletters for original stories and our Friday news roundup.
At a brewery in Mauston, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley took a question from rural Democrats about what led to his exit and reentry in the chaotic Democratic gubernatorial primary this summer. At a biergarten in Germantown, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany answered a guest at a picnic table who asked how his property tax plan might help young people purchase a home.
As Crowley and Tiffany sprint toward Election Day on Nov. 3, they are crisscrossing the state to get in front of potential voters and make their case to be the state’s next governor in a high-stakes election that could determine future political control of the Capitol in Madison. The latest polling from the Marquette University Law School indicates it’s shaping up to be another close gubernatorial contest in Wisconsin.
Voters are already casting their absentee ballots, and early in-person voting begins Oct. 20. Wisconsinites can watch the candidates participate in the race’s lone televised debate on Oct. 21, but few voters across the state may get the chance to ask Crowley and Tiffany questions about issues that matter in their communities.
In August, Wisconsin Watch asked readers to send us their questions for candidates running for office in 2026. We caught up with Crowley and Tiffany at their campaign events to pose several of those questions.
Their answers show two very different approaches, with occasional overlap, to issues they may face if they are elected governor in November. We also provided additional context when appropriate. After reading this, find out more about the candidates in our voter guide.
Reader question: What would your administration do to help fund volunteer fire departments?
More context
Results of a surveyconducted by the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health and published in June 2025 showed that about a third of fire chiefs said they could not cover their annual costs due to the financial status of their departments. The survey also found many fire departments do not have enough firefighters to staff their trucks.
David Crowley: “I think that’s a very good question. It’s also one of the reasons why I worked to get Act 12 passed and across the finish line because we know how important this type of funding is for communities all across the state, and so we need to step up. We need the state to step up as it relates to shared revenue to make sure that EMS, our firefighters, are getting the support that they need. And I want to continue that work that we started with Act 12 when I become governor.”
More context
In 2023, Gov. Tony Evers worked with the GOP Legislature to passAct 12, which changedthe way local governments receive state funding. The law also provided the city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County the power to implement new sales taxes, which both governments did later that year. Crowley has highlighted his efforts to pass the legislation on the campaign trail as an example of his ability to work across the political aisle to help Milwaukee County’s struggling financial position stemming from pension costs. Tiffany’s campaign has cited the sales tax increase to suggest Crowley would raise taxes as governor.
Tom Tiffany: “We’re going to review the volunteer fire department programs that are out there because what I’ve heard from local officials is that they’ve made the requirements so onerous now they’re keeping young people from going through the process to get certified. So, like the training hours have basically doubled, and so we’re going to review that because what it’s doing is it’s reducing the number of people that want to go through the process to become a volunteer fireman. And so I always put it this way that the perfect is becoming the enemy of the good. And I understand they want to set really high standards, but let’s make sure we have good standards but we’re not, they should not be excessive.”
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the Democratic nominee for governor, greets a guest at a meeting of the Juneau County Democrats at Gravity Box Brewing in Mauston, Wis., on Oct. 1, 2026. (Brittany Carloni / Wisconsin Watch)
Reader question: How will you bring native nations to the table in your administration? Have you met with any of the native nations as you’ve been campaigning?
Crowley: “I know that our state has a long history and a long relationship with our native nations and our tribes all across Wisconsin, and as governor, I want to continue to build that relationship and continue that track record. I think it’s extremely important that you know both our governments sit down to actually figure out how we can help one another moving forward. You know, we just have a duty to do that because these are the lands that they lived in way before our government was actually here, and so I want to make sure that we are committed to building that future together.
I’ve met with a few of the different nations, and actually between now and Election Day, I know that we’re going to be heading up north to visit some of their land as well.”
Tiffany: “I would work with the tribes. I mean, the governor has a responsibility to do that, and I’ll sit down with the tribes both collectively and individually if they choose to, and hear what their concerns are. I’ll share what my concerns are, and we’ll just have good dialogue.
I’ve talked to some of tribal leadership here and there. I’ve had some discussions with them. I would say that I will definitely be sitting down with the Lac du Flambeau in regards to their road closures, because having dealt with that issue federally, and the judges ruled that that’s illegal to do that, I’m hoping we can come to a resolution where we don’t have this disagreement that’s going on, where they’re closing roads illegally.”
More context
An August 2025federal court rulingfound that the Lac du Flambeau Band of the Chippewa Indians could not block public access to roads going through tribal lands after a dispute about expired easements. Tiffany, ina letter later that month, asked former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate and recover $600,000 the town of Lac du Flambeau paid the tribe during the conflict, describing the tribe’s actions as an “illegal shakedown.”
U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican nominee for governor, speaks to guests at the Von Rothenburg Bier Stube in Germantown, Wis., on Oct. 3, 2026. (Brittany Carloni / Wisconsin Watch)
Reader question: What policies would you enact to protect Wisconsin from droughts, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes?
Crowley: “The changing of climate is real and you have to follow the science and the data to make sure that we are pivoting the way that we need to to make sure that we’re protecting our land, protecting our water, protecting our air. But I also know that the state of Wisconsin has a 2050 climate action plan as well, but it doesn’t have any teeth or levels of accountability to it. I want to make sure that it’s a plan that we can actually implement and where the community can actually hold us accountable in making sure that we’re addressing climate change in Wisconsin.
The other things that we can do is as we look to the future, how do you build for more resilience, right? How do you build thinking about things, for example, the flooding, right? We’ve seen that here within Milwaukee County within the past couple of years, but it doesn’t just affect urban areas. It also affects farmers, affects our rural communities and affects their crops. So it’s about making sure that we’re building with more resilience because we see more extreme weather patterns.”
Tiffany: “The important thing that needs to be done is, I mean, we’ll make sure that our disaster aid program is fully prepared. I mean, I’ll make sure … that they’re fully prepared for any disasters that may happen in Wisconsin. I think that’s the most important thing that we can do is simply be prepared when they do happen, whether it’s flooding or whatever.
The other thing is that I’m going to make sure that I have a good line of communication with the White House in regards to this. In case you have a situation like in New London this year, where they had the flooding, and we sent letters to the administration asking them to designate it a federal disaster area, and the administration said yes, we’re going to do that. I think it’s important to have good communication there. And this is one place where I think David Crowley is really making a mistake when he says, almost every time he does an interview, and he’s speaking about me, he says ‘Donald Trump, MAGA, all the rest,’ and he’s basically just saying ‘I’m against everything that Donald Trump stands for.’ Well, you’ve got to work with the White House occasionally when you’re the governor.”
More context
While the Trump administration has approved some disaster declarations for recent storms in Wisconsin, it has also denied some of the state’s requests. For severe rain and flooding in August 2025, individual assistance for Milwaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties was approved but public assistance grantswere denied. The administration approved both individual and public assistance for several counties after severe flooding in April 2026, butit deniedstatewide hazard mitigation grants and public assistance for Bayfield, Manitowoc, Marathon and Racine counties. After an appeal, Racine County was later approved for public assistance. Ina social media poston Oct. 7, President Donald Trump said he spoke to Tiffany and would approve $17.9 million for Wisconsin’s “severe storms and tornadoes.” Evers formally requested disaster assistancein Augustfor the storms andtornado that hit the Fox Valley in July.
Reader question: Are there any rights thattransgender childrenand adults have currently that you would seek to limit, such as access to gender-affirming care?
Crowley: “No, I am not going to limit our LGBTQ community from what they currently have. We have a job in making sure that we protect our LGBTQ community, that we protect all children in this state, to where they can live and be their healthy selves, no matter where they are. And so, you know, I’m always going to be an accomplice when it comes down to the LGBTQ community and making sure that we’re protecting their rights and their ability to live healthy lives in Wisconsin.”
Tiffany: “I would say two things in regards to that. So first of all, public money should not be used for that, including for adults, and it should not happen to minors. I mean, puberty is a very delicate time of life. It’s a time of confusion for young people, and to say to them, to say that we’re going to allow these sexual, what I call, mutilations, to happen, I think is just wrong when they’re minors, and just because it’s a time of great uncertainty, we should let them work their way through it. And then, as adults, if they choose a different path, then you know that’s up to them as adults. But we should not be doing that as minors. And I would restrict that funding for medical facilities that are offering those surgeries to minors, we would restrict those dollars from going to them.”
More context
Over the course of his two terms as governor, Evers vetoed several Republican bills that focused on medical procedures, names and pronouns of transgender Wisconsinites. In March, Evers vetoed five Republican bills that included:
A ban on transgender children and college-age individuals from playing in school sports teams that matched their gender identity.
Prohibiting school districts from changing a student’s name or pronouns without parental consent.
Prohibiting health care providers from providing gender-affirming care for minors in Wisconsin and allowing lawsuits against medical professionals that do so.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the Democratic nominee for governor, speaks to guests at a meeting of the Juneau County Democrats at Gravity Box Brewing in Mauston, Wis., on Oct. 1, 2026. (Brittany Carloni / Wisconsin Watch)
Reader question: Do you envision any reforms to the current campaign finance system that gives political parties the ability to raise unlimited funding for candidates?
Crowley: “What I’ve realized running for governor is that you spend a lot of time fundraising. Unfortunately, Tom Tiffany has not because he has three billionaire backers, and it takes us away from actually talking to as many voters as possible. And when you think about how much money that we see going into supporting candidates all across this country, when you think about the $24 million that is backing Congressman Tom Tiffany from three billionaire donors, imagine how much more we could afford child care, how much we can help health care stretch across this state, how we can start fully funding our public schools. So yes, we absolutely need campaign finance reform in the state of Wisconsin.
I want to make sure that no one can buy this election. The fact that any political party can receive unlimited amounts of funds and donate that to one particular candidate, that’s insane to me. And so we need to make sure that government continues to stay in the hands of the people, and not in the hands of the ultra wealthy.”
More context
Recent campaign finance reports from July 1 through Sept. 23 show Tiffany’s largest donor is the Republican Party of Wisconsin, which received nearly 95% of its $29 million in donations from GOP megadonors Diane Hendricks, the founder of ABC Supply Co., and Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, who founded the Uline shipping supplies company. Crowley’s largest donor in the same time period is the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, whose largest donors include Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Lynde Uihlein, a cousin of Richard Uihlein, who each gave $1 million.
Tiffany: “I would work with the Legislature in regards to that and see if they want to make some changes. I think it’s going to take a bipartisan effort in order to be able to do that, and so I would just work with the Legislature to see if they want to change that.
More context
In a December 2025 interview withPBS Wisconsin, Tiffany described the system of unlimited donations to political parties as a “billionaire loophole.” As a state senator, Tiffany voted for the2015 law, signed by former Republican Gov. Scott Walker, that allowed unlimited donations to political parties.
“I do find it ironic that the Democrat Party is making a big deal out of this when they raised $50 million for the 2023 Supreme Court race, $48 million in the 2025 race, almost all of it out of state, including the governor of Illinois, and now they’re whining about it. I mean, to me, it’s really clear what’s going on. David Crowley is not exciting their base, and they’re having a hard time fundraising because what he’s proposing and just the basement campaign that he’s running, primarily between Milwaukee and Madison, is just not exciting voters around Wisconsin. So he’s having real difficulty being able to raise money.”
More context
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin donated about $9.9 million in 2023 to then-Supreme Court candidate Janet Protasiewicz’s campaign and about $11.8 million in 2025 to then-candidate Susan Crawford’s campaign.A majority of the donorsto Protasiewicz and Crawford’s campaigns did not live in Wisconsin. During those same races, the Republican Party of Wisconsin donated $900,000 to conservative former Justice Daniel Kelly in 2023 and $9.7 million to former Attorney General Brad Schimel in 2025.
U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican nominee for governor, speaks to guests at the Von Rothenburg Bier Stube in Germantown, Wis., on Oct. 3, 2026. (Brittany Carloni / Wisconsin Watch)
Reader question: Do you support restoring local eminent domain for bike and pedestrian purposes?
More context
The 2017 state budget bill, which Tiffany voted for and Crowley voted against, prohibited the use of eminent domain for bicycle and pedestrian paths. The Wisconsin Bicycle Federation has supported bringing back those powers for local governments.
Crowley: “I believe in local control and I think that this is basically what it goes down to. I think that local communities should be able to have a say-so on what they want to be able to do, you know, with the properties that are within their communities. And so, to say whether or not I support it for a particular project, I support anything that gives local municipalities a greater say-so at the table, at the decision-making table.”
Tiffany: “I think eminent domain should very rarely be used, and if it’s oftentimes that would be going over. I remember the example when I was in the Legislature. It was in St. Croix County, and they wanted to do it over farmland. I am very opposed, whether it’s bike trails or wind and solar, I am very opposed to converting our farmland. It is one of the cornerstones of our economy, and we have got to stop destroying our farmland. So I think eminent domain should be used very, very rarely, just very rarely.”
Reader question: What’s your position on marijuana legalization and why? What are your concerns if you do not support recreational legalization?
Crowley: “I believe it should be legalized, and I think that it needs to be legalized. One, you know, we don’t have the same opportunities as folks in Minnesota and in Michigan and in Illinois. I believe that we should support it, one, because this is a personal health position for those who want to utilize it as an alternative to a prescription drug I think is extremely important. But I also look at it as an opportunity, right? Being able to grow our economy here locally, but also finding a new revenue stream to invest in things like public safety, public education and child care.”
Tiffany: “I think you take a go-slow approach because we’ve seen some states that went straight to it, like I think about Colorado, and they had some real problems as a result of that. Think about Oregon, where they adopted full legalization, but then they also legalized other hard drugs. They had to pull back, and so I think those are a lesson to other states that we should take this go-slow approach. Also, I’ve voted federally for more money to go into research, and I think that research can inform states about what’s the best approach to take in regards to legalization.”
More context
Tiffany’scampaign websitesays the congressman supports legalizing medical marijuana and establishing a “responsible program” that would help veterans and patients access treatments while also establishing strict age requirements to prevent marijuana from getting in the hands of children.
Reader question: Do you support the BECI and MariBell electric transmission line projects? Will you intervene if they decide to skip public utility corridors and route them through private land?
More context
Two 765 kV transmission line projects are proposed in southwestern Wisconsin, which energy companies say would help meet energy demands and opposition groups say would threaten land and life in the Driftless region. The BECI would run from Crawford County to Walworth County and then to the Wisconsin-Illinois border. The MariBell would run between Marion, Minnesota, and Bell Center, Wisconsin. It will be up to thestate’s Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities, whether the projects get approved for construction.
Crowley: “No, I do not support them in its current form, and that’s because it is literally going through many different private properties and agricultural land that could be utilized, and it’s unfortunate. What’s really unfortunate is that they did not pass. ROFR would have utilized existing right of ways instead of creating new pathways, you know, for these lines that’s going to basically power these data centers. And so I want people to recognize and know that this shouldn’t be happening and the only reason why it’s happening is because the Republican-controlled Senate, particularly, didn’t pass the law to utilize the existing right of ways. We want, I want to preserve our beautiful areas. When I think about the Driftless region, I want to make sure that people can continue to have the types of views and in the agricultural lands that they need to produce the products that they harvest. And so, in its current form, I absolutely oppose this line.”
More context
ROFR, or right of first refusal, legislation that would allow in-state utility companies to have first dibs on transmission line construction has often failed in the Wisconsin Legislature, including the recent 2025-26 session.
“I’m not sure of everything related to what the governor’s power is related to this. But as you can imagine, it all depends on when this gets approved, right? Because if it gets approved before you know anybody is sworn in, you know that that pretty much handcuffs anybody’s ability to do anything moving forward. But I want your readers to know that you know they have a friend in me. They can call me their Randy Newman, in a sense, because I’m going to make sure that we’re fighting on their behalf as it relates to these power lines.”
Tiffany: “I oppose this because we’ve been seeing this across the state of Wisconsin. So first of all, just having a farm background has really given me a sense of what is happening because if we destroy our farmland, one of the most important things we do is grow food, and we’re going to, as we convert this farmland, thousands of acres of it, we’re going to drive food prices up eventually as a result of that. But there’s also the increase in energy prices. The last eight years, over $2 billion worth of rate increases here in Wisconsin, and I think one of the utilities just asked for another 14% increase, so it’s clear they’re going to continue to skyrocket our utility rates here if we continue this conversion, but to bring in something like this line, which is unique to Wisconsin, that we’re not very familiar with. I think there needs to be a timeout here and reassess where we’re going as a state.”
More context
A review of Public Service Commission-approved rate increases from 2021 to 2025 byWisPolitics.comfound that Evers’ PSC commissioners approved $2.2 billion out of more than $3.1 billion in rate increases sought by utilities.
“I think the key thing is to be able to get PSC members that are going to respect private property. They’re going to make sure that we’re not using eminent domain, and that we’re seeking low-cost, affordable, reliable energy sources rather than the high-cost sources of energy.”
Sauk County Board Chair Tim McCumber speaks to guests at a town hall about the 765 transmission line at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., on Sept. 18, 2026. The event was organized by No 765 Line, Inc., an organization concerned about the proposed MariBell and BECI transmission lines proposed across southern Wisconsin. (Brittany Carloni / Wisconsin Watch)
Reader question: Do you support the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program? What changes would you want to see to the program?
More context
The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, which was created in 1989 to preserve green space and wetlands across the state, expired on July 1 after the Legislaturefailed to reauthorize the program.
Crowley: “The Knowles Nelson Fund, we’ve never seen this become a political issue until, you know, within the past year and a half, two years. This has always been a bipartisan issue, and I want to make sure that we’re fully funding the entire program, especially when you see Donald Trump and Tom Tiffany stripping safeguards at the federal level that keeps our water and air clean.”
Tiffany: “I support renewal of the stewardship program, and the primary change that I want to make is to make sure that we’re maintaining existing state properties appropriately. I always use the example of someone who has a home, they got a hole in their roof, and their neighbor’s house comes for sale. Do you buy that house or do you fix your roof? And I see that happening with some of our state properties where they’re in disrepair. We need to make sure the roads and the buildings, the outhouses and all the rest. We’ve got to make sure that parking lots, we got to make sure that stuff is all in good repair, so people can enjoy their experience at the existing state properties. So let’s make sure we maintain what we have first before we buy anything else.”
Reader question: How will you protect and ensure the quality of Medicaid-funded home- and community-based services (like Family Care and IRIS programs) for older adults and people with disabilities?
Crowley: “That’s extremely important to me. You know, when I think about our seniors, people with disabilities, we’re talking about the most vulnerable populations, like here within the state of Wisconsin, and we’re going to make sure that they continue to get the direct services that they need. And when we talk about expanding BadgerCare, I mean, this is about actually allowing people to pay into a system to make sure we can keep it sustainable moving forward, and so I’m excited about the opportunities. But we know that we have a long road to go. My job is to focus on how we win in November to make sure that we can provide that relief, those health care services that so many families rely on each and every single day.”
Tiffany: “Part of it’s going to be the audit that I talked about. Part of it’s going to be the auditing. So the auditing, we’re seeking to first of all eliminate the waste, fraud and abuse, but just as importantly, we want to make sure that people get quality care. We’re generous here in Wisconsin in helping people who are in need, and we should make sure they’re getting the best care possible. I would add, just generally in regards to health care, we’re going to have a transparency part to our budget that health care costs have to be fully transparent. Our health care providers have to do that. We’ve seen with the study out of UW-Madison that our health care expenses are 26% higher than Illinois. We should not be worse than Illinois in anything, and so it’s certainly something that needs to be dealt with.”
Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our newsletters for original stories and our Friday news roundup.
The candidates for Wisconsin governor in the Nov. 3 election have emphasized how they would regulate artificial intelligence data centers, but they also have spoken favorably of them.
Democrat David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, said in November that government should “make sure that this is fertile ground for entrepreneurs and businesses to either stay or move right here to the state of Wisconsin. I do think that data centers play a huge role. …
“There’s an opportunity for us to really become an AI and a data hub not only for the entire country, but for the entire globe.”
Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany voted in December to speed the process for permitting construction of projects such as data centers.
In January, he called data centers “exciting new technology.”
In August, Tiffany said data centers are needed to keep technology from being outsourced to China, WSAW-TV reported.
This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
We’ve written more extensively about this topic in a different article. You can read more about it here.
Rebecca Evans is trying to raise three children with her husband. She was working two jobs but had to quit to take care of one of her children.
While her husband makes good money, the Oshkosh resident said their household costs just keep rising.
“With grocery prices and gas prices, we’ve had to go on government assistance, and that’s not something that I want to be doing,” Evans told WPR, speaking outside of a Pick ‘n Save grocery store in Oshkosh. “But I have no choice. It’s definitely a hard time financially right now.”
She isn’t the only one feeling pinched.
The latest Marquette Law School poll released Sept. 30 found that 45% of Wisconsin voters cited inflation and the cost of living as their most important issue this election cycle. No other issue even came close.
Both candidates running for Wisconsin governor agree that affordability is the state’s biggest challenge, but they’re offering starkly different ideas on how to address it.
Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany’s plan addresses affordability primarily through tax cuts and deregulation while Democratic Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley’s plan focuses on creating or expanding state programs to address rising household costs.
Tiffany, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, is running in a midterm election that could become a referendum on the administration’s handling of the economy.
In 2024, Trump campaigned in Wisconsin on lowering prices. Two years later, the September Marquette poll showed 65% of registered voters said they think Trump’s policies will increase inflation.
Evans said she voted for Trump two years ago hoping he would fight for the working class.
“I’m not seeing any change whatsoever,” she said. “He seems to be doing a lot there, but it’s not affecting me at all, and I’m very disheartened. I’m not happy at all with the way he’s doing things.”
In the Midwest, inflation over the last year has been around 3.6%, driven in large part by rising prices of oil and gas related to the war in Iran, said David Fuller, an economics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Fuller said gas prices can be especially difficult for consumers because daily commutes remain the same even when fuel costs rise.
Evans, the mother from Oshkosh, said gas prices have been a major source of financial hardship in her household over the last year.
“My husband works like 50 minutes away, so gas to and from is a huge chunk out of his paycheck,” she said. “He’s considering changing jobs just because the gas is taking away a good part of his income.”
Another Oshkosh resident, Alexzandria Wiegand, planned a cross-country road trip months ago in response to a spike in airline prices during the beginning of the Iran war.
“We weren’t planning for gas prices to be this high,” she said. “We’re still in a position where we’re going to go with it, but it’s not ideal.”
High oil prices also filter through the rest of the economy by raising the cost of shipping goods throughout the country and the globe. That means high gas prices are reflected in higher prices on other goods.
On top of rising gas prices related to the war in Iran, consumers have also had to navigate an international trade war and a flurry of tariffs imposed by Trump since returning to office.
The nonprofit Tax Foundation estimates tariffs imposed in 2025 amounted to a $1,000 tax increase per U.S. household on average. This year, it’s estimated the average tax increase to households from tariffs will be $820.
And while Wisconsinites have been facing high inflation since the COVID-19 pandemic, wages have struggled to keep up with rising prices over the last year, Fuller said.
“Real wages, which are wages adjusted for inflation, are down slightly over the past year — and a little bit more in Wisconsin than nationally,” he said. “That’s why consumers are rightfully noticing that the cost of living has increased faster than their wages have gone up.”
Median wages in Wisconsin have generally kept pace with overall inflation over the last 25 years, but the costs of many household essentials, like housing and health care, have outpaced both inflation and wages over that period. That’s according to a report from Forward Analytics, the research arm of the Wisconsin Counties Association.
Jeremy Albrecht, a nurse from Oshkosh, said he and his wife both work middle-class jobs and it doesn’t feel like their incomes are keeping up with the cost of living.
“It is harder for families to get by these days,” he said. “I can’t even imagine someone making less than what my wife and I do, like how they can get through this.”
Candidates for governor offer competing visions to address affordability
The two major-party candidates for governor have offered competing visions for trying to provide relief to residents.
Crowley’s plan focuses on lowering costs of essentials, including child care, health care and housing, through increased state spending. Meanwhile, Tiffany’s proposal focuses on delivering savings to residents by cutting income and property taxes, eliminating taxes on tips and cutting regulations.
Crowley’s proposal calls for increasing funding to existing child care providers to give families access to subsidized child care slots, as well as expanding BadgerCare and increasing funding for housing programs addressing supply and demand.
Crowley didn’t specify how the plan would be funded, but suggested the state could use its roughly $3 billion budget surplus, as well as taxes on “billionaires” and “billionaire companies.”
“This is about how we’re going to uplift communities,” he told WPR. “We have to tackle the affordability crisis, whether we’re talking at the gas pump, groceries, housing, child care, health care, you name it.”
Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley shakes hands as he enters a press conference Oct. 1, 2026, at Milwaukee Public Market in Milwaukee. (Angela Major / WPR)
Meanwhile, Tiffany’s plan calls for cutting regulations that he says make it more expensive for companies to do business and result in higher prices for consumers, from housing to child care.
On taxes, his plan includes a 10% tax cut for families earning less than $150,000 per year. It also calls for freezing property taxes after repealing a partial veto from Gov. Tony Evers that increased school district revenue limits for 400 years, and returning the state surplus to residents.
“We are going to return more money to the people of the state of Wisconsin,” Tiffany told WPR. “State government has plenty of money. It does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem.”
Crowley and Tiffany have traded barbs over their respective plans and records.
Tiffany has attacked Crowley for tax increases in Milwaukee County, arguing the county executive would raise taxes statewide. Meanwhile, Crowley has attacked Tiffany for his votes in Congress, framing him as a rubber stamp for Trump.
Midterm politics and affordability challenge collide
While both candidates say they want to address affordability, Fuller, the UW-Oshkosh economist, said the governor’s powers to affect national policies fueling inflation — from foreign wars to tariffs — are quite limited.
“There isn’t a whole lot that local or state politicians can do to meaningfully affect the inflation rate because that tends to be driven by national forces,” Fuller said. “In this case, it’s the price of energy, it’s actions by the Federal Reserve Bank (and) the federal government — those things are driving inflation.”
Even so, Crowley said he believes the governor has a role to play when it comes to the national economy.
“A governor may not be able to do much, but we can stand up to this Trump administration,” he said.
Tiffany said he believes his opponent is too focused on Trump, and the governor would need to work with the president on disaster relief.
“He’ll be judged by history — he’ll be judged over the course of his four years,” Tiffany said.
Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany talks with supporters at his gubernatorial campaign’s “Freedom Fest” event at West Bend’s Elderberry Manor wedding barn June 28, 2026. (Rich Kremer / WPR)
In the September Marquette Poll, Trump had a negative approval rating in Wisconsin at 38%, and 60% of voters disapproved of Trump’s job performance.
Aaron Weinschenk, a political science professor at UW-Green Bay, said midterm elections are generally tough for the president’s party if voters feel they aren’t getting ahead economically.
“Maybe it matters more in a race like ours, where we’re a battleground state and things are looking to be pretty tight between the candidates,” he said. “It might be that (the candidates) don’t even need to talk necessarily about the economy. They could just talk about the president in general.”
While he said candidates’ economic plans and platforms are important for accountability, Weinschenk admitted most voters don’t actually read them in detail.
“A lot of people are operating on much more simple cues than reading a document from the candidate,” Weinschenk said. “They know how things are going in their life. They know which party they like. They know how they feel about the president. Those are pretty good guides for the decisions they’re going to make.”
For Evans, the former Trump voter from Oshkosh, affordability is her top concern this election, though she hadn’t yet made up her mind in the governor’s race.
“It is top of mind because it affects us so greatly,” she said. “It’s something that I think about every day, ‘Oh man, where’s the money gonna come from here?’ And it’s definitely on the forefront of my mind and how I would vote.”
Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for Wisconsin governor, received more than 90% in campaign contributions from three billionaires – Diane Hendricks, Richard Uihlein and Elizabeth Uihlein – for the reporting period of July to September 2026.
Tiffany’s campaign fund received more than $26 million, and $24 million, or 93%, came from the Republican Party of Wisconsin. The party received $27 million of its $29 million from the Uihleins and Hendricks in that period.
Individuals can donate up to $20,000 to a campaign, but can give unlimited amounts to a party, which can then contribute unlimited amounts to a campaign.
Throughout the entire campaign period dating to July 2025, Tiffany raised $42 million, with more than $34 million, about 80%, coming from the Republican Party of Wisconsin. The three billionaires contributed more than $40 million to the party, which has raised a total of $42 million since July 2025.
This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
President Donald Trump says he will approve nearly $18 million in disaster relief for Wisconsin related to the tornado and severe storms that hit the state this summer.
An EF-3 tornado hit Menasha on July 27, plowing through the city, destroying homes, overturning cars and uprooting trees. The storms also caused damage in Forest, Outagamie, Vilas and Winnebago counties.
Trump’s social media post announcing the money did not reference Evers’ request but did call attention to U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for governor. In his post, Trump said he “just spoke with Tom Tiffany, who has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be the next Governor of the Great State of Wisconsin.”
Trump said he would be approving $17.9 million for severe storms and tornadoes Wisconsin experienced.
The federal agency put out a statement later Wednesday evening announcing that federal disaster assistance was available “to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms and tornadoes on July 27, 2026.”
The FEMA statement did not include a dollar amount of aid available. It stated that aid would include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans and other programs to help families and individuals. It also stated that assistance would be available to state, local and tribal governments, along with some nonprofit organizations, in Vilas and Winnebago counties.
In Evers’ request to the president, the damage to residential buildings from the July 27 storms was estimated to be more than $8.2 million while government property suffered another $13.8 million in damage.
A spokesperson for the governor’s office said it did not have any additional information beyond the content of the president’s post.
“Clearly, President Trump and Congressman Tiffany are continuing to play politics with emergency aid that’s meant to help communities recover in the wake of disasters like tornadoes and floods,” Evers added. “That’s Complete and Total (Bull****).”
In a statement, Tiffany said securing federal disaster relief is a priority and he had been in “regular contact with the administration.”
“Today, President Trump called to let me know that roughly $18 million in aid for Wisconsin has been approved,” Tiffany stated. “I appreciate the administration responding to Wisconsin’s needs.”
“Local officials, first responders, and community members have worked hard to help their communities recover, and federal assistance can help build on those efforts,” Grothman stated. “I especially want to thank the volunteers who have given their time to help neighbors clean up and begin rebuilding.”
The city of Menasha was the hardest hit community by the tornado. According to the state’s request for federal aid, 663 homes were damaged, including 140 that were unsafe and likely needed to be demolished.
Menasha Mayor Austin Hammond said the city was aware of the president’s announcement, but had received no confirmation from state or federal emergency management officials that the disaster relief had been approved.
“We’re waiting for additional details,” he said. “Once we’ve received a bit more confirmation from (Wisconsin Emergency Management) and FEMA, then everybody — city staff, other governing agencies — will disseminate that information out as quickly and accurately as possible.””
Hammond said the community’s recovery effort hinges on federal relief coming to the community.
“The support of the federal government is imperative to the road to recovery, which will be long,” he said. “It’s going to be months and years, so that support is imperative.”
Winnebago County Executive Gordon Hintz said the county was “encouraged” by Trump’s announcement, but did not yet have any details on the disaster relief.
“The president’s out there and he’s committing federal resources, and I’m encouraged by that,” he said. “On the other hand, we don’t have the details on exactly what it means, where the dollar figures align with what the reported damages are.”
Trump’s announced nearly $18 million comes in more than $4 million short of the $22 million in damage to private and government property identified in the state’s request for federal aid.
While he’d like more information, Hintz added that he’d rather “have a positive commitment made by the president than nothing.”
“Maybe the administration made the approval and he was excited to get out there, and the information will be forthcoming,” he said. “But this is how President Trump has done most things, and apparently, disaster relief is no different.”
Whoever wins the Nov. 3 election to become Wisconsin’s next governor — whether it be Republican Tom Tiffany or Democrat David Crowley — will inherit a state whose long tradition of open government is replete with opportunities for improvement.
With that in mind, the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council last month sent questionnaires about government transparency to both candidates. Crowley answered our questions while Tiffany did not.
Here’s a roundup of where the candidates stand when it comes to your right to know, drawn from Crowley’s responses and from what he and Tiffany have said on the campaign trail.
Let’s begin with common ground. Both Crowley and Tiffany say they support ending a legal loophole that exempts state legislators from record retention rules that are in place for all other state and local government officials. This loophole presently allows elected members of the state Assembly and Senate to delete emails and other files at will to prevent their release, absent a pending records request.
Jonathan Anderson (Provided photo)
Crowley and Tiffany also say they oppose nondisclosure agreements between data center developers and local governments.
In his response to our questionnaire, Crowley said his administration would post commonly requested information online, monitor records processes across agencies and review records request procedures at least annually. He would also require that appointees receive training on the public records and open meetings laws and “make sure the agencies responsible for public records and open meetings compliance have the funding and staffing they need to do that work well.”
Asked about potential changes to the public records and open meetings laws, Crowley said he supports increasing the location fee threshold — a provision in the law allowing custodians to charge location fees only when they are $50 or more — which has not been updated since 1981.
Although Tiffany did not respond to the council’s questionnaire, he has made several campaign promises related to government transparency. Tiffany said he would improve a state data portal to “make it easier for taxpayers to search and understand state spending.” He promised to create agency dashboards that would show “taxpayers where their money is going, what services agencies are providing, and the results taxpayers are receiving.” Tiffany’s spokesperson also said that Tiffany, if elected, would “set clear response-time standards for open records requests.”
As a state senator, Tiffany in 2015 voted for a proposal that would have made it easier for lawmakers, the governor and other agencies to withhold records from the public. The measure was rescinded after intense public outcry. (Tiffany later apologized for his vote, saying “Quite honestly, I am embarrassed by the event.”)
Beyond the public records and open meetings laws, Crowley supports legislation targeting strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), used to retaliate against individuals and news outlets for engaging in protected activities. The state Assembly in February passed an anti-SLAPP bill, but it died in the Senate. Wisconsin is one of just 10 states without such protection.
Crowley also supports spending taxpayer dollars on WisconsinEye, a public affairs network like C-SPAN, as it works to find a sustainable funding model. “Having served in the State Legislature and now as County Executive, I’ve seen firsthand how important it is for Wisconsinites to have direct access to their government — it strengthens both transparency and public participation,” Crowley said.
Tiffany did not answer our questions on these topics.
Like government transparency, the values of press freedom and free expression are pillars of the broader project of representative democracy. On Sept. 24, Tiffany’s staff blocked two Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters from a campaign event alleging bias in coverage. Afterward, he insisted, “I’ve always had an open policy in regards to the media.”
Read Crowley’s full response to WISFOIC’s questionnaire here.
Your Right to Know is a monthly column distributed by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council (wisfoic.org), a group dedicated to open government. Jonathan Anderson is the organization’s treasurer.
Now the Republican is running for governor, a role in which he would be the executive of the entire state of Wisconsin. If he is elected, experts say he has a duty to perform regarding the state’s votes in the 2028 presidential election.
Though the Wisconsin Elections Commission does most of the heavy lifting to certify presidential elections, the governor does have a “key” role, said Chad Oldfather, a law professor at Marquette University.
After the November election, the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission receives and certifies the statewide election results, said Bryna Godar, a staff attorney for the State Democracy Research Initiative at the University of Wisconsin Law School, in an email to The Badger Project. The commission then creates a certificate naming the electors chosen by the winning political party to vote for president and vice president in the Electoral College, she noted.
The governor has to sign that certificate and send it to the U.S. archivist in Washington, D.C., Oldfather said.
Wisconsin law suggests the governor’s role in signing the certificate is more of a duty than an act of “discretion,” Oldfather said. But “there’s always the possibility that someone can come up with an argument as to why the duty doesn’t cover a specific scenario.”
Godar said courts could step in if the governor refuses to sign the certificate or tries to change it.
Asked to comment for the story, Tiffany’s campaign sent a statement from the candidate.
In the aftermath of the 2020 election, the Trump campaign filed lawsuits across the country challenging the election of then-President-Elect Joe Biden. Judges appointed by Republican and Democratic presidents rejected those attempts.
“The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history,” the federal government’s Elections Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council & the Election Infrastructure Sector Coordinating Executive Committees announced in a joint statement after the election.
Tiffany also joined a 2020 effort led by Texas to challenge Biden’s narrow but legitimate victories in Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. He was one of more than a hundred other Republicans in Congress, and the only one from Wisconsin, to sign a letter to the court supporting the lawsuit.
The U.S. Supreme Court, featuring three Trump-appointed justices, dismissed the lawsuit in December 2020, writing that Texas lacked legal standing to interfere with how other states conduct elections.
Beyond supporting the lawsuit, Tiffany also voted to object to the certification of 2020 election results in Arizona and Pennsylvania. When asked if he regretted his vote in an August TV interview with WISN-12 News in Milwaukee, Tiffany said Biden won the 2020 election. Pressed further, Tiffany said he was focused on the future and not the past.
In a separate case, the Wisconsin Supreme Court also rejected, albeit by the narrowest of margins, Trump’s effort to challenge the results of the 2020 election in the blue counties of Dane and Milwaukee.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Brian Hagedorn, a conservative, sided with the court’s three left-leaning justices and wrote in his 2020 opinion that the Trump campaign needed to challenge election rules before the election, not after.
The remaining three conservative justices on the state’s highest court dissented, writing that the court should have weighed the merits of the case.
Wisconsin voters head to the polls again in November as Tiffany and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, a Democrat, face off for the governor’s mansion.
Adam Paul, who owns Vintage Rose Bakery & Sandwich Shop in west De Pere with his wife, says health care is the biggest financial stress he faces.
He struggles with mental health, and his wife has a thyroid condition. For the last three months, Paul said they’ve been negotiating with their insurance provider to try to get an MRI covered for his wife’s condition.
“Fighting with the insurance company, and owning a business at the same time, to get things covered is a nightmare,” Paul said. “It’s a constant fight of, ‘OK what is my health worth?’”
As a business owner, he said he “would love” to offer his employees insurance, but his company is just “way too small” for him to make it work financially.
Paul and other Brown County community members spoke at an affordability roundtable in De Pere last month, moderated by former Democratic Party of Wisconsin chair Ben Wikler.
Paul wasn’t the only one at the roundtable who spoke about health care costs being a major source of financial stress.
Inflation and cost of living rank as the top issue among Wisconsin voters, according to a September Marquette Law School Poll. Health insurance was the third highest ranking issue among voters and outranked data centers, abortion, schools or crime.
Candidates running for Wisconsin governor, Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany and Democratic Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, both say they want to lower health care costs and make care more accessible. But they’re offering different views on how to do that.
Wisconsin hospital prices among highest in nation as ACA coverage declines
The biggest increase among essential costs came from hospital services, which increased by 274%, the report found. Median household incomes in Wisconsin increased by an estimated 90% over the same period.
Dan Sacks, a professor of risk and insurance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business, said health care, in general, is expensive — accounting for around 18% of the nation’s gross domestic product.
He said Wisconsin’s hospital prices are among the highest in the nation, as the health care sector has become “dominated by a relatively small number of very important health systems.”
He said those who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace are seeing higher costs after pandemic-era subsidies ended at the start of the year. He said the subsidies helped keep ACA premiums down.
Sacks said tens of thousands fewer Wisconsinites enrolled in ACA coverage this year than last year, and people are generally “paying more out of pocket for their health care.”
Beyond the ACA marketplace, Medicaid work requirements included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are set to begin at the start of 2027, which would affect those enrolled in BadgerCare, Sacks said.
“In Wisconsin, the work requirements will apply only to childless adult BadgerCare members,” Sacks said.
Crowley, Tiffany differ on the role government should play
While both candidates say they want to lower health care costs and expand access to care, Tiffany and Crowley differ on the role government should play in achieving those goals.
Crowley’s health care proposal calls for opening up BadgerCare enrollment to any household that wants it, making premiums based on income and giving targeted subsidies to small businesses, single parents, college students, farmers and gig workers.
The plan also proposes making BadgerCare comprehensive to include medical, dental, vision and mental health care.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, left, and U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany. The Wisconsin gubernatorial candidates have opposing plans for tackling rising health care costs. (Andy Manis for Wisconsin Watch and Zoey Elwood / Wisconsin Watch)
“It’s about creating BadgerCare as an alternative to for-profit insurance, giving our veterans, our entrepreneurs, our students, our child care workers, anybody, the ability to pay into a system that’s going to be cheaper and is going to work well for them, so they don’t fall through the cracks,” Crowley told WPR.
Meanwhile, Tiffany’s health care proposal calls for requiring hospitals and insurance companies to provide upfront prices to patients, allowing primary care patients to pay their doctor directly through a subscription model and allowing the Wisconsin Farm Bureau to offer health plans to members.
The plan also calls for increased oversight of pharmacy benefit managers, which he says contribute to higher prescription drug costs.
“We’re going to create a system that makes health care more affordable in Wisconsin and brings greater resources to the table to make sure that we have top-notch health care,” Tiffany said. “We are going to make sure that all health care providers provide maximum transparency.”
Crowley has been critical of Tiffany for his vote in favor of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and its Medicaid spending cuts. Tiffany has defended the bill for providing funding for rural health care and said he supported a federal rule that could bring additional Medicaid funding to the state.
Gov. Tony Evers used his partial veto powers in July 2025 to remove funding for four auditor positions from the 2025-27 state budget.
In his veto message, Evers said the provision would cost $408,400 over the two-year budget cycle.
Evers said the Legislative Audit Bureau “has sufficient funding and position authority to fulfill its role of completing statutorily required audits and discretionary audits as directed by the Legislature.”
Evers and Republican legislative leaders reached a budget compromise in 2025 in which the governor agreed not to alter items in the agreement through partial vetoes, but Evers’ staff contended he could still use partial vetoes in other parts of the budget.
U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for governor, cited the veto in September as part of a campaign pledge to increase the number of state auditors to increase state government transparency.
This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican nominee for Wisconsin governor, has not supported defunding the police — an effort to reduce law enforcement funding by shifting it to other programs.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the Democratic nominee, claimed Tiffany voted six times to defund the police.
None of those House votes would have taken money away from law enforcement.
Tiffany voted against a bill that would have directly funded local police departments.
Other measures he opposed were different, including:
Funding more than a dozen federal agencies, including NASA and the Commerce and Justice departments.
Health and Human Services grants for violence intervention programs.
Grants for mental health professionals, rather than law enforcement, to respond to certain emergencies.
We found no evidence that Tiffany backed reducing police funding.
In 2022, Tiffany said “it’s time to stop the defund the police movement.” In 2026 he criticized the movement.
This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the Democratic nominee for governor, has supported reducing Wisconsin’s prison population through crime prevention and reducing recidivism.
Crowley has supported rehabilitative services for nonviolent offenders and commutations; decriminalizing cannabis; and expanding drug courts. He has backed education programs aimed at diverting youths from committing crimes.
Crowley also has backed job training and other efforts aimed at reducing recidivism and prevention measures such as “violence interruption programs.”
Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers set a goal of eventually reducing the prison population by half, though it recently hit a new record.
The campaign of Republican gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany cited Crowley’s 2019 support for Evers’ goal as support for Tiffany’s claim that Crowley “wants to let half the prison population out in Wisconsin.”
Tiffany said he’s open to adding prison capacity to address the record number of inmates without releasing those in custody.
This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Tiffany was not present to vote on a Sept. 15 war resolution that came three days after he survived an emergency landing of a plane carrying him from a campaign event.
Tiffany said during a May 14 podcast appearance that it was time to “wrap up” the conflict in Iran. He said on Sept. 22 that his past no votes were because the president already has the authority to exit the war.
This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives: Roll Call 85
Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives: Roll Call 114
Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives: Roll Call 170
Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives: Roll Call 199
Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives: Roll Call 282
Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives: Roll Call 307
Login
