Gov.-elect David Crowley announced members of his transition, including former Department of Children and Families Secretary Jeff Pertl, who will serve as his chief of staff. 

Crowley said in a statement that Pertl would bring an “incredible depth of experience, a strong understanding of state government and a deep commitment to serving Wisconsin families.” 

Pertl has served in multiple roles within the administration of outgoing Gov. Tony Evers. Pertl served as the DCF secretary from 2024 until he left in September. He left the agency to work on Crowley’s campaign for governor, according to WisPolitics. 

Prior to Pertl’s tenure as the head of DCF, he had worked as the agency’s deputy secretary since 2019. He also previously served as senior policy advisor for the state superintendent at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and as a Dane County supervisor. 

“Throughout his career, he has demonstrated the leadership, thoughtfulness, and collaborative approach needed to tackle our state’s biggest challenges and deliver results for the people of Wisconsin,” Crowley said. “I’m confident Jeff will be an invaluable partner as we build an administration focused on bringing people together, making life more affordable for working families, and moving Wisconsin forward.

Pertl lives in Madison with his wife. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his master’s degree in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley. 

In the week since Crowley won the election, he has said that he is focused on putting together his transition team, including bringing voices together from across the state — not just from Madison and Milwaukee. 

“I am committed to bringing people together from across the political spectrum and all across this state. We’re going to listen to every region … every community,” Crowley said last week. “We’re going to make decisions that are based on what’s best for everyone here in the state of Wisconsin, and we are going to measure our success on whether life gets better for all families in this great state.”

Crowley in his announcement tapped Thad Nation, the founder and senior partner of Nation Consulting, a public strategies firm, to serve as the director of Crowley’s transition committee. He also named twelve leaders from across Wisconsin to serve as co-chairs of his transition team. Some of those people include former Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry, Greater Milwaukee Foundation CEO Greg Wesley, UW-Stevens Point faculty member Marcus Lewis, co-founder and CEO of The Hmong Institute Peng Her and Kathleen Rulka, a retired marriage and family therapist.

Crowley announced on Tuesday that he is taking applications for jobs within his administration.

The transition to a new era of Democratic leadership in Wisconsin was set in motion on Tuesday as Democrats elected Rep. Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) to serve as the next Assembly speaker and Sen. Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) to serve as the next Senate majority leader. 

Both lawmakers were expected to be chosen to lead by their respective caucuses as they led in the minority and helped shepherd in the Democrats’ midterm election wins for the first time in 16 years. 

Neubauer, who was first elected to the Assembly in a January 2018 special election, will be the first woman to serve as speaker. She has led Assembly Democrats since 2021 and in the upcoming session will lead a Democratic caucus of 53 members. She succeeds Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester), who had held the position for 13 years.

Hesselbein, who was first elected to the Senate in 2022, took charge of the Senate Democrats in December 2023. At the time, the caucus only had 11 members. She will now  lead a majority caucus of 18-members.

Their elections mean the Wisconsin State Legislature will be led by two women for the first time in state history.

“It, of course, is a historic moment, and we hope to use our positions to make life better for women, for families, and for people across the state,” Neubauer said. 

Senate lawmakers were giddy as they gathered for their caucus meeting on Tuesday morning, giving hugs and congratulations to their colleagues. 

“15 years since I’ve been in the majority,” Sen. Bob Wirch (D-Pleasant Prairie) said a few times as he greeted his colleagues. He is the longest serving member in the Senate, having been elected to the position in 1996.

Democratic Gov.-elect David Crowley and state lawmakers will be sworn in on Jan. 4, 2027. 

“We are united, and we are ready to govern. I cannot be more excited to work with this thoughtful and hardworking group of people from all across our state,” Neubauer said at a press conference. “I do not take this responsibility lightly. At this moment, I am thinking about my own 5-month-old daughter and every child here in Wisconsin, and what the future holds for them. Our responsibility is to do right for them. That will take a tremendous amount of work, but we are up for it.”

“What a day this is,” Hesselbein said ahead of the Senate Democrats’ caucus elections. “We know the assignment. We’ve been working towards this for years, and we are going to get it done.” 

Neubauer told reporters Democrats plan to meet over the next few months to speak about their priorities. She said there are many bills they are considering, including free school meals for students, investing in our public schools and regulating prescription drug costs, but she said they still need to discuss what comes first.

“We have a lot that’s ready to go,” Neubauer said.

Hesselbein was asked about a number of issues including marijuana legalization, opting Wisconsin into the National Popular Vote Compact and artificial intelligence. Her answer was similar for each question, saying that her caucus needs to have open discussions first. She said Senate Democrats plan to meet through November and December. 

“I understand everyone has a sense of urgency, but just for the first time today, we welcomed three new senators-elect to our caucus,” Hesselbein said. “Whereas I have knocked on thousands of doors for the past year and a half listening to voters, they have done tens of thousands of doors, and so we really want to bring those voices from those districts that really didn’t have any good representation in this building until this moment.” 

Sen. Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit) was elected by Senate Democrats to serve as the Senate president. Some of the priorities he mentioned include placing guardrails on data centers, lowering the cost of everyday essentials, making healthcare and medications more affordable, fully funding schools, restoring the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program and reigning in artificial intelligence.

“After years of Republican inaction, there is so much that we must get done for the people of Wisconsin,” Spreitzer said in a statement. 

Crowley and Lt. Gov.-elect Sarah Godlewski spoke to lawmakers in their closed caucus meetings on Tuesday. Crowley dodged questions from reporters afterwards. 

Crowley has said he would be interested in a blue ribbon commission that looks at the state’s taxation system, including school funding and Act 10. 

Neubauer said Democrats need to be thoughtful, but also need to work quickly. 

“We need to be thoughtful about how we approach these pretty challenging issues. We have a lot of priorities that we hope to fund. We want to invest in schools in a serious way that sets them on a different trajectory and stops the endless cycle of referendum,” Neubauer said. “We’re always open to participating in those more comprehensive looks at deeper, challenging issues. We do want to move quickly to make sure that we are restoring collective bargaining rights and investing in our skills in the way that our kids.”

Neubauer said Democrats are discussing changes to the school funding formula and said her caucus will be “pushing very hard to restore the rights of working people in Wisconsin.” 

“I think it’s possible that we will propose some changes in the school funding formula, but our No. 1 priority is to get kids and families the resources that they need,” she said.

Hesselbein said during the press conference that she would need to speak with Crowley about his comments on a blue ribbon commission. 

Republicans prepare to be in the minority

Republican lawmakers are preparing for their own transition to minority status in the Legislature. Assembly Republicans elected Rep. Tyler August (R-Walworth) to serve as the next Assembly minority leader. 

Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green), who lost his bid for reeelection to Sen.-elect Jenna Jacobson (D-Oregon), said it was an honor to serve as the chair of the powerful budget committee.

Marklein was in the building as the Joint Finance Committee met for likely the final time under his leadership with co-chair Rep. Mark Born. The committee approved a $124,000 transition budget for Crowley. It will provide support, including staff, equipment, travel and legal support, for his transition into the governor’s office. 

Marklein told reporters that he wished the next co-chairs the best, and declined to offer  his thoughts on what the biggest challenge could be. He also said it was up to Democrats to decide what to do with the state’s $3 billion budget surplus. 

“It’s a big responsibility,” Marklein said. “You have to ask the leadership. It’s always a challenge, I think, in a caucus to unify over what their priorities are and stuff. It’s great to have the majority. Now, you have to have the government. That’s not always easy.” 

Newly-elected Senate Minority Leader Julian Bradley (R-New Berlin) told reporters that Republicans are in “uncharted territory,” but he is prepared for life in the minority. Bradley is the first Black person to hold the leadership position and only the second Black Republican in the Senate.

“I was born in the minority, so it’s a little bit easier for me,” Bradley said. “At the end of the day, we’re prepared to do everything we can. While being in the minority is new, representing the people that hired us to do this job is not, and we’re going to come here to Madison. We’re going to fight tooth and nail every day when there’s areas to work together like on tax cuts and affordability, putting money back in people’s pockets.” 

Bradley said he didn’t think the new Democratic leadership would be “punitive or vindictive.” He said he had also recently spoken to Crowley in a brief phone call. 

“He knows we’re going to be a thorn,” Bradley said. “It’s going to be really difficult to take him at his word when he’s already flip-flopped on something as big as mid-cycle redistricting.”

Bradley said he would be interested in doing anything apart from affordability legislation, including a tax cut.

“They’re talking about the national voter compact and the giving away of the votes of Wisconsin,” Bradley said. “That’s absolutely absurd and ridiculous. We’re going to fight that tooth and nail all these other things.”

Hesselbein said that Democrats didn’t plan on locking Republicans out of the legislative process. She said she had a conversation with Bradley after he was elected. 

“I assured him that we will hear Republican bills. My door has always been open for the best ideas going forward. I think it was the last session. We had five Democratic bills that had hearings and only two became law. That shouldn’t be what we do in the state of Wisconsin,” Hesselbein said. “I think people are really sick of the terrible stuff… and they just want some sense of normalcy in our state of Wisconsin.”

The other members of the Senate majority leadership are: 

• Sen. Kristin Dassler-Alfheim (D-Appleton), who will serve as the Senate assistant majority leader
• Sen. Dora Drake (D-Milwaukee), who will serve as the Senate president pro tempore
• Sen. Melissa Ratcliff (D-Cottage Grove), who will serve as the caucus chair 
• Sen. Jeff Smith (D-Brunswick), who will serve as the vice caucus chair 

The other members of the Assembly majority leadership are: 

• Representative Lisa Subeck (D-Madison), who will serve as speaker pro tempore
• Representative Kalan Haywood (D-Milwaukee), who will serve as majority leader
• Representative Mike Bare (D-Verona), who will serve as assistant majority leader
• Representative Clinton Anderson (D-Beloit), who will serve as caucus chair
• Representative Karen DeSanto (D-Baraboo), who will serve as caucus vice-chair
• Representative Ann Roe (D-Janesville), who will serve as caucus secretary
• Representative Margaret Arney (D-Wauwatosa), who will serve as caucus sergeant-at-arms

The other members of the Assembly minority leadership are: 

• Rep. Nate Gustafson (R-Ormo), who will serve as assistant minority leader
• Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam), who will serve as caucus chair
• Rep. Joy Goeben (R-Hobart), who will serve as caucus vice-chair
• Rep. Barbara Dittrich (R-Oconomowoc), who will serve as caucus secretary
• Rep. Will Penterman (R-Hustisford), who will serve as caucus sergeant-at-arms

Wisconsin voters approved about 55% of school referendum requests across the state — a majority passage rate that still marked a significant decline from previous years. Of 79 referendum questions on ballots last week, 44 referendum were approved and 35 failed.

In April, 61% of referendum requests passed. According to the Wisconsin Policy Forum, in 2024, there was a 70% approval rate; in 2022, there was an 80% approval rate; and in 2020, there was a 85% approval rate.

Schools have come to depend on ballot measures asking local property taxpayers to meet their costs including paying electric bills, building maintenance and program offerings as well as  providing pay and benefits to teachers and staff.

Wisconsin Public Education Network Executive Director Heather DuBois Bourenane called the results a “mixed bag.” 

“Green Bay desperately needed that referendum. Dodgeville, you know, had to go to referenda four times in order to pass one, and I mean the referendum they passed still leaves them in a pretty precarious fiscal situation, but at least they aren’t facing the same kind of cuts and shortfalls that they would have otherwise,” DuBois Bourenane said. “Most of them did pass, but the ones that didn’t are just gutting.” 

Schools in districts where  referendum requests failed she said, will be considering cuts to services and staff or consolidating schools or even dissolving their districts.

The latter option became a reality for one school district in Wisconsin right after the elections. 

The State Board approved a dissolution request for Hustisford School District in Dodge County. The tiny district had struggled financially in part due to a lack of state funding and repeated failed referendum requests. After the fifth failed referendum in April, it started the dissolution process.

State Superintendent Jill Underly said in a statement that dissolution “is a casualty of decades of an antiquated, broken school funding formula that has failed to keep pace with the costs of educating our children.” 

State support for public schools has declined dramatically over the last 15 years. Ahead of the election, 62% of Wisconsin public schools received notice from the state Department of Public Instruction that they would receive less aid for 2026-27 school year than in the prior year. The current state budget did not provide any increase in funding for 2026 or 2027.

Underly said in a statement that following Tuesday’s elections she is hopeful that the state is in a position to make “meaningful change” to the way Wisconsin funds its schools. 

“While I am optimistic about what the outcomes of yesterday’s election mean for the future of public education in Wisconsin, that optimism does not undermine the reality that too many communities are forced to make an unfair decision,” Underly said. “The school funding formula is broken, and it has failed our children, our schools, and entire communities for decades. Wisconsin’s public schools cannot continue to rely on referenda to provide the educational opportunities all students deserve.”

Underly said she looks forward to working with Wisconsin’s elected leaders as Democratic Gov.-elect David Crowley and members of a Democratic-controlled state Assembly and Senate prepare to take office.

“There’s just like a lot of energy right now about the possibility of a more democratic co-governance that could be possible,” DuBois Bourenane said. The Democrats who will lead state government “seem truly committed to listening to people and to delivering a budget that reflects their needs,” she said. “That’s something we haven’t seen in this state in a really long time. We can fix school funding for real. We can actually get to the root of the problem and set this course straight and undo the damage that’s been done in previous administrations.” 

Among the actions DuBois Bourenane hopes to see from the new administration and Legislature are the repeal of Wisconsin’s union-busting law, Act 10, and making the cost of the state’s school voucher program public on property taxpayers’ bills. She said Crowley and lawmakers could also get to work on funding issues before the next state budget, suggesting  that a bill to provide 60% funding to special education could be among the first that Crowley signs. 

“The fact that about half of the referend this all didn’t pass means we’re going to see a ton of referenda in the spring again, and we shouldn’t have to wait for another budget to go into action to help the schools that are struggling now,” she said. 

It’s unclear how fast Democrats plan to move on education funding. 

Crowley campaigned on increasing funding to the state’s public schools, including moving the state toward reimbursing districts for 90% of the cost of special education, but he has said that he would want to bring together a blue ribbon commission to examine Wisconsin’s taxation system, including the role of property taxes in school funding. 

Crowley is not the only Democratic leader to suggest there could be additional study on changes to school funding. 

Senate Democratic Leader Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton), who will likely become the next Senate majority leader, said in late September that Democrats will increase school funding in the next state budget, but added that though she said changing the state’s school funding formula could be a “multi-year” process.

“We’re also looking at a long-term goal of seeing what other states are doing and how they are funding their public schools,” she said. “But that’s going to take probably a multi-year task to try to figure that all out and talking to our friends in Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois.”

Crowley also said he supports repealing Act 10, but he wants his administration to look at the impact on taxes.

“We’re going to couple all of this with a blue ribbon commission bringing Democrats, Republicans, tax experts, local units of government, business leaders, as well as labor unions to the table to focus on that long-term fix,”  Crowley recently told WISN-12. “We know that there are going to be a lot of people who continue to attack our workers across the state of Wisconsin, but our job is to make sure that this is a place they can see a future that they can afford.” 

DuBois Bourenane was not enthusiastic about the idea of another blue ribbon commission on school funding, saying it is the “last thing” Wisconsin needs. 

“We know exactly what the problem is. There is no mystery here. There is no need for additional research. There is no need to study this problem further, we have been studying and documenting what the problem is for decades,” DuBois Bourenane said, noting that Crowley was in the Legislature during the last blue ribbon commission. 

The last bipartisan blue ribbon commission on school funding was conducted nearly 10 years ago and took two years to complete its work. It provided a slate of recommendations to address the issues in the school funding system including indexing per pupil funding to inflation. Many of the recommendations went unaddressed by the Republican-led state Legislature. 

“Those recommendations sit unfulfilled on a dusty shelf, and he could just blow the dust off of that and put those into action if he wants. Those are still good recommendations,” DuBois Bourenane said. “We need to do a lot more than piecemeal solutions. We need to really overhaul the school finding formula, and we know how to do that.”

Senate Republicans chose Sen. Julian Bradley (R-New Berlin) as minority leader Thursday. He will take office when lawmakers return in January.

Bradley succeeds Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg), who decided against running for reelection. He will lead a caucus of just 15 Republicans after Democrats swept the election on Tuesday night. Democrats added three seats to their caucus, winning a total of 18 seats to take the  Senate majority for the first time since the 2008-09 legislative session. 

Bradley said in a statement that the election results had “changed the math in the Senate, but they didn’t change what we believe or who we work for.” 

Three Republicans were reportedly running for the position, according to WisPolitics. They were  Sen. Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk), who had served as Senate president, Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point), who led Senate Republicans’ election efforts and had served as president pro tempore, and Sen. Eric Wimberger (R-Gillett).

Bradley was not one of the names reported in WisPolitics ahead of the caucus meeting, but he emerged as the chosen leader. He has served in the state Senate since 2020 and is the first Black Republican to serve in the Wisconsin Senate. 

“Wisconsin families still want safe communities, good jobs and a government that lives within its means. We’re going to keep fighting for those goals and our state,” Bradley said. “I’m grateful to my colleagues for the trust they’ve placed in me. Leading this caucus is a responsibility I don’t take lightly.” 

Bradley said the caucus will be focused on “protecting taxpayers and expanding opportunity for every Wisconsinite” in the new session. During his time in office, he has served on the Joint Finance Committee, as the vice chair of the administrative rules committee and as the chair of the utilities, technology and tourism committee. 

Sen.-elect Erik Severson, a Republican from Osceola, said in a statement that Senate Republicans needed a “new path forward” following the election results.

“While I respect the work of the previous leadership team, we need a fresh approach to how
things are being done in Madison as we move forward together in a drastically reshaped
political climate,” Severson said. “While the leadership team may have changed, our focus on
common-sense policies that put taxpayers ahead of liberal special interests will not change.”

Bradley, 45, was born in Baltimore before moving to Wisconsin in 1992. He was previously a professional wrestler and a realtor and operations manager for Northwestern Mutual and CenturyLink.

Sen. Romaine Quinn (R-Birchwood) was chosen to be the assistant minority leader.

Following Democrats’ resounding victories in Wisconsin Tuesday night, Gov.-elect David Crowley and Democratic legislative leaders spent Wednesday talking about preparing to work for Wisconsinites, though the specifics are still being worked out. 

Crowley said as he begins putting together a transition team and cabinet he wants it to be representative of the entire state, not just Madison and Milwaukee. He emphasized that he is committed to hearing from people with diverse viewpoints across the state as he begins that work. 

“While we witnessed major victories in the state Legislature last night, I am committed to bringing people together from across the political spectrum and all across this state. We’re going to listen to every region … every community. We’re going to make decisions that are based on what’s best for everyone here in the state of Wisconsin, and we are going to measure our success on whether life gets better for all families in this great state.” 

Crowley told reporters on Wednesday afternoon in Milwaukee that affordability and healthcare are his top priorities, but he didn’t provide specifics about the legislation he wants to see on his desk soon after he takes office. 

“You’re asking me about the legislative process. I think it is extremely important that you talk to the legislative leaders,” Crowley said. “I look forward to working with them about what our priorities are going to be. We are less than 24 hours of knowing that we won this race right now. I think all of us are basking in the fact that we won, we have the Democratic trifecta, and we know that the hard work is going to begin today.”

Over the course of the campaign, Democrats and Crowley said that if elected they would address an array of issues including lowering costs, improving education and healthcare accessibility. 

Assembly Democratic Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) told reporters on a call that legislators needed a chance to connect with Crowley and their Senate colleagues while working to build their governing agenda. She said addressing the costs working families face is the first priority. She said some proposals include providing free school meals to all students and addressing housing costs, healthcare and childcare. 

“We do have a big list, and we are going to be ambitious,” Neubauer said. “We recognize this is a huge opportunity. Wisconsin on a new course; we are going to be busy. We’re going to be busy for two years getting all these things done.” 

Neubauer said the Assembly will have several options for addressing healthcare. She said lawmakers will explore a public option as well as regulations on prescription drugs and other costs. She said taking the federal Medicaid expansion is complicated given recent changes made by the Trump administration, including work requirements and changes to the federal funding mechanism. 

“It’s a shame that Wisconsin has not done that up to this point,” she said. “We are going to be working very closely with the administration to figure out the best way to expand access to affordable healthcare for Wisconsinites, even given the Trump administration’s efforts to cut access and raise costs.” 

“We know that Wisconsinites are struggling to afford access to quality healthcare, and that is going to be a key priority for us,” she added.

Senate Democratic Leader Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) said in a statement on Wednesday that the Democratic majority was elected to invest in public schools, lower property taxes, stand up for Wisconsin workers and protect freedoms, including the right of women to make their own healthcare decisions.  

“The people of Wisconsin have placed their trust in Senate Democrats, and we’re not going to take it for granted,” Hesselbein said. “We are ready to breathe new life into the ‘Wisconsin Idea’ and ensure that everybody in Wisconsin, no matter your race, gender, who you love, or where you live, has a fair shot at the American dream.”

WAUSAU — Wisconsin Republicans started the evening on Tuesday feeling optimistic. 

Attendees at Republican Tom Tiffany’s election night party in Wausau chatted while holding old fashioneds and napkins that declared: “You betcha we’re celebrating!” Tiffany arrived at the party around 7 p.m., taking pictures and shaking hands with attendees.

The celebratory vibe didn’t last long as a blue wave swept across the nation and Wisconsin Tuesday evening. Tiffany was defeated by Gov.-elect David Crowley. Democrats won control of the state Senate and Assembly, ousted Republican incumbent Treasurer John Leiber and defeated Jay Schroeder, the Republican candidate for secretary of state who ran on a promise  to take over elections in Wisconsin. 

Wisconsin Republicans’ inability to buck national trends was foreshadowed a couple of hours before polls closed when Republican Party of Wisconsin Chair Brian Schimming told reporters that U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany had run a good campaign, but they were watching turnout. 

“We’re getting different signals around the state about turnout. We’re kind of watching that. I believe big turnout helps Republicans and helps Tom Tiffany,” Schimming said. Republicans have struggled in statewide races during years that President Donald Trump hasn’t been on the ballot as some of his supporters don’t turnout for midterm or spring elections. “I’m conscious of the fact that it’s an off year.” 

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, preliminary turnout was about 56% across the state and there was high turnout in the blue stronghold of Madison, which saw about 79% turnout, and Milwaukee, which saw nearly 71% turnout. 

A little before 10 p.m., Tiffany took the stage to concede Gov.-elect David Crowley, who will serve as Wisconsin’s first Black governor. He told reporters he had called Crowley beforehand and congratulated him. He said the night didn’t turn out as he’d hoped.

“I wanna congratulate David Crowley on his victory. While we have our differences, we both love this great state and I wish him and his family the very best as he prepares to serve as Wisconsin’s next governor.” 

When one attendee tried heckling Crowley, Tiffany shut it down, telling the crowd “We’re gonna be magnanimous.”

Asked what led to the loss, Tiffany did not mention President Donald Trump, instead blaming himself for not delivering the Republican message well enough. He also pointed to the price of gas and other high costs. 

“I mean, it’s clear voters have said, ‘You’re the party in power, and we’re gonna try something different,’” Tiffany said. “Now, there’s going to be a new party in power here, and they’ll have to deliver.” 

Tiffany and Republicans in the state Assembly and Senate tried to distance themselves from the unpopular president throughout their campaigns, but it was a difficult task, as Trump remained a constant in the campaign. As Democrats sought to tie their opponents to Trump, Trump highlighted his endorsement of Tiffany throughout the campaign, including on Election Day when Trump wrote in a post on X that Tiffany has “always been at my side.”

Over the course of the campaign, Trump’s popularity fell significantly across polls conducted by Marquette Law School. In October just ahead of Election Day, 61% of Wisconsinites said they disapproved of the job he was doing. 

Republican Treasurer John Leiber, who lost reelection by 4 points to Democrat Yee Leng Xiong, told WisPolitics that he doesn’t see a “future for the Republican Party with Trump in it.”

Two Republicans who serve in the state Legislature — and will now serve in the minority for the first time in their tenure — also pointed to the national environment. Republicans there will be disempowered for the first time in 16 years. They won just 15 seats in the Senate and 46 seats in the Assembly on Tuesday. 

Rep. Karen Hurd (R-Withee), who won reelection easily to her red district, told the Examiner that Republicans were conscious of how the federal government could affect Republican chances in the state. 

“What happens at the federal level has not just a trickle-down effect, but a flood effect on what’s happening in our state elections, and we knew that,” Hurd said. “We were doing our very best to say, ‘Separate us from the federal… We’re worried about schools and universities and roads. We don’t have anything to do with the war in Iran. We don’t have anything to do with the gas prices or with the price of eggs.” 

“It’s very hard for people to separate that,” she added.

Sen. Mary Felzkowski (R-Tomahawk) told the Examiner a little bit before Democrats declared victory in the state Senate that it was an “uphill battle going into this” and there were “a lot of national headwinds for Republicans.”  

Republicans will have to work to have an influence on Wisconsin policy from a disempowered position for the first time in over 16 years. 

Felzkowski noted that there are only two Republicans, Rep. Jeff Mursau and Rep. Dan Knodl, who have ever served in the minority.

“No one else has ever served in the minority, so this is a learning curve for all of us,” Felzkowski said. 

Felzkowski said Republicans in the Senate will choose their leadership this week and Assembly Republicans will choose theirs next week. Both leadership positions are open as Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and Sen. Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) both decided against running for reelection. Vos wrote in a post on X reacting to the Democratic wins that he knows that over the next two years “Republicans will stand firmly with the taxpayers and job creators who built Wisconsin’s success.” 

“Conservatives will offer constructive alternatives, demand accountability, and make sure voters can see the difference between growing government and growing opportunity,” he said. “The next two years will test our resolve. They will also clarify the choice ahead.”

Both Felzkowski and Hurd said they look forward to working with Crowley in office. Felzkowski said she would work well with Crowley, noting they worked together on Act 12, a 2023 law that overhauled local government funding and allowed Milwaukee County to raise its sales tax. The law became a point of attack for Republicans during the campaign as they alleged Crowley would raise taxes as governor. 

However, Felzkowski also said that if Republicans had held control of the Legislature, they would have been able to keep Crowley in check. A Democratic-led Legislature, she said, will mean “the brakes are off.”

“We are gonna go so far left. Crowley himself came right out and said, when he beat Francesca Hong, my platform’s not much different to hers, and she’s a Democrat socialist so we’ll see what happens,” Felzkowski said. “I think it’s a sad day for Wisconsin.”

Democrats won control of the Wisconsin Senate and Assembly Tuesday night, along with the governor’s race — cementing Democratic trifecta control of state government for the first time in over 16 years.

Democratic candidates won the majority of their targeted seats — claiming open seats and ousting longtime Republican incumbents. In the 99-seat state Assembly, Democrats will hold 53 seats and Republicans will hold 46. In the 33-seat state Senate, Democrats will hold 18 seats while Republicans will hold 15 seats. 

Democratic Senate Leader Dianne Hesselbein declared victory in a statement a little before 10 p.m.

“For two years we’ve said that the Wisconsin Senate was the most flippable chamber in the country, and tonight voters across the state proved that to be true,” Hesselbein said. “We’re grateful that Wisconsinites have placed their trust in Senate Democrats to deliver progress in our state; now it’s time to get to work cutting costs and building a stronger future for our hardworking men and women.”

Assembly Democrats declared victory a little after 11 p.m. Democratic Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) said in a statement that she was proud of everyone who stepped up to run for the Assembly. 

“They understood that this would be hard, that they would have to knock on doors every single day, face millions of dollars in attack ads, have to take time away from their families, and potentially face threats or violence. But they did it anyway, because they understood that this was our best shot in decades — our shot to win the Democratic trifecta, our shot to set Wisconsin on a new path. Our candidates and our members believe the people of our state deserve better,” Neubauer said. “And Wisconsin does deserve better. With this trifecta, we will end decades of Republican obstruction and build great schools, help families feel financially secure and to save for retirement. We will hold big tech accountable, protect our rights and freedoms, and make Wisconsin a state where everyone can thrive.” 

Democrats have not held control of the state Senate or Assembly since 2010, but new legislative maps helped put the Legislature in play this year. The maps, which were passed by the Republican-led Legislature and signed by Gov. Tony Evers, were adopted in 2024 after Wisconsin’s previous legislative maps were found by the state Supreme Court to be an unconstitutional gerrymander.

In the 2024 election, Democrats flipped 10 Assembly seats, slashing the Republican majority from 64 seats to 54 seats and the state Senate went from a 22-seat Republican supermajority to an 18-seat Republican majority. The close margin increased Democrats’ influence on issues including the state budget over the last two years. 

Headed into the election, Democrats were optimistic about their chances of taking control. 

The Democratic-led Legislature will work alongside Democratic Governor-elect David Crowley, who defeated Republican Tom Tiffany. 

“We know that people will be counting on us to deliver, and we will deliver. Alongside Governor David Crowley and our Democratic colleagues in the Senate, we will show that government can be a force for good and that things can be different with Democrats in charge,” Neubauer said. “Tonight we celebrate, tomorrow we get to work.” 

Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin Devin Remiker said in a statement that voters had sent “a resounding message that they are tired of a broken political system, where politicians put billionaires, special interests, and their own self-interest ahead of working families.”

“They saw Republicans in the Legislature gerrymander themselves into power, block Governor Evers at every turn, and sit on their hands while costs went up. They saw three billionaires try to buy the governor’s office for Tom Tiffany. And they chose a different direction,” Remiker said. “Now it’s time to deliver. Governor-elect David Crowley, Lieutenant Governor-elect Sarah Godlewski, Senate Democratic Leader Dianne Hesselbein, and Assembly Democratic Leader Greta Neubauer will work together to lower costs, make healthcare more affordable and accessible, invest in our public schools, and build an economy that works for all Wisconsinites.” 

Here are the results in districts that were decisive in determining control:

• In Senate District 31, The Associated Press called the race for Sen Jeff Smith (D-Brunswick). He defeated a challenge from Republican Michele Magadance Skinner, an Eau Claire County board member to win another term in office. The district covers Eau Claire County and parts of Dunn, Trempealeau and Chippewa counties. With more than 95% reporting, Smith brought in 58% of the vote while Skinner brought in 42%. 
• In Senate District 5, state Rep. Robyn Vining (D-Wauwatosa) defeated Republican Mike Roberts, a businessman and healthcare professional from Pewaukee. The race for the seat, which covers Wauwatosa and other parts of Milwaukee County, was open after Sen. Rob Hutton opted not to run for reelection. With 94% reporting according to The Associated Press, Vining had brought in 57% of the vote and Roberts had brought in 43%. 
• In Senate District 21, Democrat Trevor Jung, the former Racine transit and mobility director, defeated Republican businessman Jim Croft. This southeast district that includes part of Racine and Milwaukee Counties was open due to Sen. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine) retiring. With 90% reporting, Jung had brought in 58% of the vote while Croft had brought in 42%.
• In Senate District 17, state Rep. Jenna Jacobson (D-Oregon) was leading state Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) a little before 11 p.m. With more than 95% reporting according to The Associated Press, Jacobson had brought in 53% of the vote and Marklein had brought in 47%. The district represents Iowa, Lafayette, Green, Crawford and Grant counties as well as parts of Dane County.
• In Assembly District 21, Democrat Daniel Bukiewicz, the mayor of Oak Creek, defeated Dylan Pfaffenbach, a Republican student at Carroll University. The race for the seat was open following the retirement of Rep. Jessie Rodriguez, a longtime Republican incumbent. With 84% reporting according to the Associated Press, Bukiewicz brought in 60% of the vote while Pfaffenbach brought in 40%.

• In Assembly District 30, incumbent Rep. Shannon Zimmerman (R-River Falls), who was first elected in 2016, lost his reelection bid to Democratic challenger Kevin Knoke, a veteran and educator from Hudson. Zimmerman was first elected in 2016 and served on the Joint Finance Committee. With more than 95% reporting according to the Associated Press, Knoke brought in 53% of the vote while Zimmerman brought in 47%. 
• In Assembly District 51, Rep. Todd Novak (R-Dodgeville) lost to Democratic challenger Ben Gruber, a conservation warden in Wisconsin who is member of AFSCME Local 1215. With 92% reporting according to the Associated Press, Gruber brought in 55% of the vote while Novak brought in 43%. 
• In Assembly District 53, Republican David Daniels lost to Democrat Becky Nichols, a former Menasha city council member. The race was open due to the retirement of incumbent Rep. Dean Kaufert (R-Neenah). With more than 95% reporting according to the Associated Press, Nichols brought in 55% of the vote while Daniels brought in 39%.
• In Assembly District 61, Rep. Bob Donovan (R-Greenfield) lost his reelection bid to Democratic challenger Ben Brist, an army veteran. With 88% reporting according to the Associated Press, Brist brought in 56% of the vote while Donovan brought in 44%. 
• In Assembly District 85, Rep. Patrick Snyder (R-Weston) lost his reelection bid to challenger Democrat John Kroll, a Marathon county board supervisor. Snyder, who was first elected in 2016, ran his campaign by emphasizing his work across the aisle. With more than 95% reporting according to the Associated Press, Kroll brought in 54% of the vote while Snyder brought in 46%.
• In Assembly District 88, Rep. Benjamin Franklin (R-De Pere) lost his reelection bid to Democrat Brandy Tollefson, a De Pere school board member. With more than 95% reporting according to the Associated Press, Tollefson brought in 54% of the vote while Franklin brought in 46%.
• In Assembly District 89, Rep. Ryan Spaude (D-Ashwaubenon) fended off a challenge from Republican challenger Bobby Lindsey, a retired law enforcement professional and a Marine Corps veteran.  With more than 95% reporting according to the Associated Press, Spaude brought in 56% of the vote while Lindsey brought in 44%.
• In Assembly District 92, Rep. Clint Moses (R-Menomonie) lost his bid for reelection to Democratic challenger Jeremiah Fredrickson, a fish farmer from Elk Mound. With more than 95% reporting according to the Associated Press, Fredrickson brought in 53% of the vote while Moses brought in 47%.
• In Assembly District 94, Democratic Rep. Steve Doyle defeated Republican challenger Keith Purnell, an Army veteran. Doyle was first elected to the Assembly during a May 2011 special election and has been reelected since. With more than 95% reporting according to the Associated Press, Doyle brought in 57% of the vote while Purnell brought in 43%.

Republican Michael Alfonso, 26,  the son-in-law of U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, won by a margin of 56.1% to 43.9% over Democrat Fred Clark, a conservationist and former state lawmaker, in the election for an open seat in Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District. 

AP called the race at 10:03 p.m. with 86% of the vote counted.

The district, which covers much of the northern part of Wisconsin, is currently represented by U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the 2026 Republican candidate for governor.

Alfonso, whose father-in-law previously represented the 7th CD, received President Donald Trump’s endorsement during the primary. 

During the campaign, Alfonso faced criticism over his lack of work experience. After he went to college, he worked for as a producer on Dan Bongino’s podcast in Florida for about a year. He said during the Republican primary that he has worked as an accountant for a church since moving back to Wisconsin.

The district has been represented by a Republican for the last 16 years. Prior to Tiffany and Duffy, the seat was held from 1969 to 2011 by Democrat Dave Obey, the longest serving U.S. House member in Wisconsin history.

Alfonso ran as a strong supporter of the construction of a new segment of the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline, which he said would create jobs in the district. He also advocated for cutting taxes and regulations, especially on homebuilding. 

Throughout the campaign, he tied himself closely to President Trump and embraced Trump’s efforts to eliminate the Department of Education. During a candidate debate, he criticized “these ridiculous public universities that do nothing but indoctrinate our students” and called for taking away funding from them and putting it towards trade schools.

The University of Wisconsin Board of Regents unanimously chose Tonjanita Johnson, a senior vice chancellor in the University of Alabama System, to be the next president of the Universities of Wisconsin. 

Johnson, 57, has served as the senior vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at the University of Alabama System since 2019. 

“I am deeply honored by the confidence the Board of Regents has placed in me and excited about the opportunity to serve the people of Wisconsin,” Johnson said in a statement. “Public higher education has the power to improve lives, strengthen communities, and shape a state’s future.” 

Johnson’s appointment will begin on or about Jan. 1, 2027. She’ll be the first person of color to lead the UW system.

Renée Wachter has been serving as the interim president since May. She will return to serving as the chancellor of UW-Superior when Johnson takes up the president role.

Johnson will be the 10th system president and will succeed Jay Rothman, who was fired from the position in April after the Board said it had lost confidence in him. 

Johnson was chosen from a group of three finalists that included Steven Gareth Holley, executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer at the University of Mississippi, and Bernard  Savarese, vice president for academic affairs, research, and student success at the University of Tennessee System. 

“I look forward to working with our chancellors, faculty, staff, students, elected leaders, and partners across Wisconsin to ensure that our universities remain engines of opportunity, innovation, and economic vitality,” Johnson said. “My goal is to help our remarkable UW universities become even stronger, more connected, and more consequential to the future of Wisconsin.” 

In her position at the University of Alabama System, Johnson has overseen academic and student affairs, worked as the primary liaison to the Board of Trustees Academic Affairs and Student Affairs Committee and worked with campus and system leadership on institutional priorities and policy development. She has also represented Alabama’s public universities with government agencies, education partners and national organizations.

Regent Vice President Ashok Rai, who chaired the presidential search committee, said in a statement that the regents’ goal was to “identify an exceptional leader who understands both the enormous responsibility and the extraordinary potential of the Universities of Wisconsin, and who can chart a bold course for our future.” 

“Dr. Johnson brings the vision, experience, and leadership to do exactly that. She understands complex public university systems, she believes deeply in their ability to change lives and strengthen communities, and she has the ability to bring people together around a shared direction for the future,” Rai said.

Democratic candidate for governor David Crowley is heading into the final week of the campaign with an expanded polling advantage over Republican candidate Tom Tiffany. Crowley also had a slight fundraising advantage in the most recent reporting period, though Tiffany, who has raised more money overall, is still outspending the Democratic candidate.

The final Marquette Law School poll before Election Day found that Crowley maintained a 7-point lead over Tiffany among likely voters; 51% said they will vote for Crowley, while 44% said they’d vote for Tiffany. There were 4% who remained undecided. 

A month ago Crowley led the Marquette Law School poll 49% to 46% among likely voters.

“What’s happened in this month is Tiffany has gone down two points and Crowley gone up two points,” poll director Charles Franklin said.

Crowley was also ahead among registered voters; 47% said they would vote for Crowley, while 46% said they’d vote for Tiffany.

The poll was conducted from Oct. 14 through 22, with surveys ending just before the only debate in the race, so the poll did not capture voters’ response to the debate. It interviewed 818 Wisconsin registered voters about the election. The sample of likely voters was 668. 

Crowley has the support of 98% of Democrats, up from 96% in September, while Tiffany has the support of 92% of Republicans, down from 95% in September. 

Crowley has increased his support among independents to 56% from 44% in September, while Tiffany’s support grew from 18% to 26%. The percentage of undecided independent voters has decreased from 38% to 18%.

“Independents are coming in, they are making up their minds, and they’re going for Crowley pretty significantly,” Franklin said. 

Fundraising reports filed this week showed Crowley reported raising $15.5 million over the last four weeks, due in large part to transfers of $9 million from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. The state party received $5.5 million from LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman during the pre-election period.

Tiffany reported raising a little over $10 million during the same time period, which included $9 million from the Republican Party of Wisconsin as well as $3.5 million in in-kind contributions. The state party reported receiving $13 million from Beloit billionaire Diane Hendricks, bringing her total donated to the party this year to $21 million. 

Tiffany reported spending $17 million over the time period and ended with $4.8 million in the bank, while Crowley spent $14.2 million and ended with $4.1 million in the bank.

In total over the year, Tiffany has raised $49.7 million and spent $46.6 million. Crowley has raised $26.7 million and spent $23 million.

Both candidates have been delivering their closing arguments to voters this week at campaign events and through ads.

Crowley has focused on addressing the cost of living by making healthcare affordable and funding education and tying Tiffany to the Trump administration. The Marquette poll found that Trump’s job approval fell one point in Wisconsin over the last month to another record low of 61% disapproval and 37% approval.

Tiffany has focused on addressing high costs by cutting taxes, limiting transgender students’ rights in schools and other cultural issues. Two ads released by the Tiffany campaign soon after the Marquette poll focused on Crowley’s previous support of placing tampons in all school bathrooms and criticized the use of racial equity policies in Milwaukee County while Crowley has served as the county executive. The ads call Crowley’s agenda “radical.” 

Crowley spokesperson Philip Shulman said in a statement that the campaign is “taking nothing for granted and running like we’re one point down in this final week.” 

“Wisconsinites are clearly fired up to elect David Crowley the next governor of Wisconsin as he continues bringing his vision of making life more affordable to every corner of the state,” Shulman said.

The Marqutte poll asked voters about which candidate would do more on specific issues. 

Among registered voters 39% said Crowley would do more on making healthcare affordable to Tiffany’s 23%; 44% said Crowley would do more to improve education to Tiffany’s 30% and 32% said Crowley would do more to handle data centers to Tiffany’s 25%. 

The only issue where Tiffany was ahead was reducing taxes — 42% said he would do more, while 17% said Crowley would. 

Voters across the state will also determine which party controls the state Legislature, which Republicans have held since 2011. Democrats are seeking to flip two seats in the state Senate and  five seats in the state Assembly to take majorities in both houses.

Among likely voters, the Marquette poll found 51% said they would vote for the Democratic candidate, while 44% said they would vote for the Republican candidate. 

Franklin said there is also a change in voters’ preference for unified government as opposed to divided government. The poll found that among registered voters, 60% prefer unified control and 38% favor divided government. 

“After a long period of divided government, people do seem to have a bit of a taste for unified control and the things that you can get done when you have one party in control,” Franklin said, adding that preferences for which party takes charge depends on voters’ partisan affiliations.

The Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in game five of the World Series Wednesday evening at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, clinching the first World Series title in Brewers history.

Wisconsinites enthusiastically cheered for the team at watch parties, including at American Family Field, which packed in a sold out crowd of 31,000 fans three nights in a row. Big crowds also watched the game in the Deer District outside of Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee, at Tropicana Field in Tampa, and in bars and livingrooms all over Wisconsin.

“Thank you. That’s it,” Jacob Misiorowski, the Brewers starting pitcher, said when asked about what the win would mean for Wisconsin and Milwaukee in an interview on Fox Sports after the game. “They’ve been nothing but support for us this whole year and years prior,” he said of the fans, tearing up as he spoke.

“I think about the state of Wisconsin, they pushed us through for sure,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. 

The Brewers lost just twice in the playoffs and along the way swept the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers, who boast the highest payroll in Major League Baseball.

The Brewers won the first three games in the series, but lost in the fourth game on Tuesday in Tampa after blowing a 12th inning lead.

On Thursday during the fifth game, the Brewers came back strong, keeping a lead on the Rays during the whole game and only allowing the team to squeak in one score during the ninth inning.

The team, and its huge win, represents a point of unity in a state sometimes riven by political divisions and a 50-50 partisan split. The World Series provided a respite from politics , especially with less than a week to go before the midterm elections.

The Brewers have been based in Wisconsin’s largest city, but the MLB’s smallest market, since 1970, when they moved to Milwaukee from Seattle. The team last appeared in the World Series over 40 years ago in 1982 where they faced the St. Louis Cardinals and lost in seven games.

A Marquette Law School poll released Wednesday found that 77% of Wisconsinites are supporters of the Brewers with 49% identifying as fans and 28% identifying as casual supporters. Only 1% said they actively root against the team. The Brewers had the second largest professional sports fanbase in the state, behind the Green Bay Packers.

Fans were happy to soak up the statewide joy the team could offer including during the watch parties at American Family Field. 

Sarah Coleman, a Brookfield native who now lives in Milwaukee, said the Brewers’ underdog story was part of the team’s appeal. 

“It says a lot that a small market team swept the highest paid team in Major League Baseball,” she said. “It’s cool to talk about the underdog.” 

“It’s nice to enjoy something so positive,” Christal Glynn-Skipini said. 

Gov. Tony Evers, a lifelong Brewers fan, reacted to the win in a post on X, writing in all caps, “JAZZED AS HELL IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT”.

The candidates for governor also celebrated the Brewers (the team at times has played a role in the race). 

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, the Democratic candidate running in the open race for governor, reacted to the win online: “FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THE MILWAUKEE BREWERS ARE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!!!” 

Crowley and members of his party have pointed to his role in negotiating the stadium deal that kept the team in Milwaukee through 2050. Republican state Rep. Rob Brooks recently told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that Crowley was “big part” and “true partner” in getting the deal done.

Supporters of the deal, including Evers, said the state and local government investment was important because of the economic activity that the Brewers bring to the state. According to the Milwaukee Business Journal, the Brewers’ World Series appearance was estimated to generate between $10 million to $12 million in economic impact per home game. 

Republican candidate and U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany said in a post that “Ueck is smiling down on us tonight,” referring to the late Bob Uecker, who was the legendary Hall of Fame radio broadcaster for the team. 

“What a moment for Wisconsin,” Tiffany said. “GO BREWERS!” 

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said in a post that “this special team represented what this city is all about and the entire state of Wisconsin is proud of them.” 

“Congratulations guys — you deserve every bit of this victory,” Johnson said.

Democratic candidate David Crowley often asks his supporters to volunteer the “Three T’s”: “time,” “talent” and “treasure” — or money. But with about a week until the election, he put a new spin on the phrase at a rally with former Vice President Kamala Harris Monday evening. 

“I usually say the last piece is treasure, but we’ll make an executive decision and turn that third T into turnout,” Crowley said. “We may not have billionaires, but we got something better. We’ve got you.”

Harris reinforced that message as she addressed attendees at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee.  Harris said she came through Milwaukee to say “thank you” for the work people are doing to help elect Crowley, and she emphasized that the work needs to continue through Election Day. 

“People have been feeling like ‘I can’t do anything about this,’ and I know how much pain people are in,” Harris said, commenting on the “brutality” of the Trump administration and the feeling of powerlessness it engenders. But, she added, “That phase is over. We are now in a moment to turn anger into action.”

Crowley faces Republican candidate U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in the state’s first open race for governor since 2010. 

Harris told attendees that their voices and votes matter.

“You don’t have to put up with this,” Harris said. “They’re putting a whole lot of money to try and convince people either that their vote doesn’t count or to lead them astray, but we have the power of the people on our side, so for the next eight days, let’s get out there and do everything we possibly can in a way that we show people who we are, what we want from leadership, and what we deserve.”

Harris is the latest surrogate to speak on Crowley’s behalf. Other Democrats who have visited the state or plan to include Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Georgia U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. 

During her speech, Harris spoke about rising costs, criticized Tiffany and told voters that they had the power to change the direction of the state and the country. 

Ahead of Harris’ visit, Tiffany criticized the Crowley campaign, saying that he wants to bring California policies to Wisconsin. 

“Wisconsin rejected Kamala Harris once, and now it’s time to reject David Crowley and his tax-hiking, spending spree and toll road agenda,” Tiffany said in a statement. 

President Donald Trump won against Harris in Wisconsin in the 2024 election by fewer than 30,000 votes. During his second term, Trump’s popularity in Wisconsin has fallen to record lows with 60% disapproval in the latest Marquette Law School poll. 

“Let’s talk about the fact that David’s opponent denied the election of 2020,” Harris said. Tiffany voted against certifying voters’ choice of Biden in two states in the 2020 election, and said he would have voted against certifying Wisconsin’s vote. 

“By the way, we won. We won that election,” Harris said. 

The rally was targeted at mobilizing women to vote and the economic pressure women are facing was a common theme among the speakers as well as one of the issues at the top of mind of women who attended. 

While waiting for Harris and Crowley, Sarah Bielejeski, a 38-year-old Milwaukee resident, told the Examiner that she was asked to attend by her friend. She said she wasn’t comfortable speaking in detail about the candidate’s positions, but she knew “enough to know that Tom Tiffany is not right.”

During the interview, Bielejeski reached for another attendee standing beside her to join in the conversation.

Megan Czarnyszka, a single mom from the Milwaukee suburbs, said she had decided to attend the rally so her daughter could witness the civic engagement and was looking forward to learning more. She said that while she supported a different candidate in the primary, she was now backing Crowley.

Both Bielejeski and Czarnyszka said they were glad to be in a room with like-minded people. 

Czarnyszka, a small business owner, said she wants Democrats to win control of the Legislature as well as the governor’s office because Affordable Care Act insurance has become too expensive for her and she also wants to see schools fully funded.

“It’s like tripled right now,” Czarnyszka said about her health insurance premiums. “The deductible will be another $1,500. We’re talking $5,000 before my insurance ever kicks in. We’re talking the difference between me thriving, having my medications, and going all the way back to like poverty levels.” 

Harris described cost of living as a women’s issue, as did, Crowley and his wife.

Ericka Crowley gave a speech emphasizing costs before her husband and Harris took the stage.

“I’m a mother of three, y’all. I got a child in college and I’m still trying to figure out how to pay this tuition. I was at the grocery store the other day and I was like, ‘Oh I’m so exhausted of these prices. I’m tired of it, and I know y’all are exhausted,” she said. “We deserve better.” 

Crowley highlighted the same issue when he took the stage. 

“We feel these prices, too, and so when I say I get it, I get it. You know who doesn’t get it though? Congressman Tom Tiffany. He went to Washington, DC, and sold Wisconsin out,” he said. 

Harris said she was used to reporters asking her to speak about women’s issues. “I’d look at them and say, ‘I’m so glad you wanna talk about the economy,’” Harris, the first female vice president and the second Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate, said. Then she pivoted to making a plug for Crowley.

“David had everything to say about what is important to all people, including women. He stands for affordable childcare — only 7% of your income should go to childcare,” she said, referring to one of Crowley’s policy proposals. “He stands for affordable healthcare. We all know his opponent voted for that big bad bill that cut Medicaid by a trillion dollars to help millionaires and billionaires to cut their tax bills.”

Clarification: This story has been updated to clarify Sarah Bielejeski’s comments.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany is proposing a bill of rights for parents and teachers, which includes requiring parental permission for students who want to change their names and pronouns at school and banning transgender students from bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity.

Tiffany released his proposal as in-person early voting kicked off last week and with a little over a week to go before Election Day. Tiffany has sought to leverage divisions over cultural policies in schools since he launched his campaign last year. 

Under his proposal, transgender girls would be prohibited from participating on girls’ sports teams and using girls’ locker rooms and bathrooms in schools, schools would be prohibited from placing tampons in boys’ bathrooms and “gender transition procedures” would be prohibited for those under 18.

“Every child deserves a safe classroom, every teacher deserves the authority to maintain order, and every parent deserves to know what is happening in their child’s school,” Tiffany said in a statement.

Last month, Tiffany appeared at a town hall hosted by Moms For Liberty, a right-wing organizing group for parents well known for supporting book bans and targeting schools over policies related to transgender children. Keeping transgender girls out of girls’ sports was one of the first priorities Tiffany mentioned at the Moms For Liberty town hall.

Tina Descovich, one of the founders of Moms for Liberty, who traveled to Wisconsin from Florida for the event, said that the organization is targeting women who don’t ordinarily vote in get out the vote efforts in Wisconsin. She said the election presents voters with a choice that could take the state in two very different directions.

“You can continue with someone who believes that boys should be playing with girls in sports. You can continue with someone that thinks mothers should be called inseminated persons,” Desovich said, using terminology that Tiffany’s opponent, David Crowley, has in fact not endorsed. (Gov. Tony Evers was criticized for the use of the term in budget language referring to artificial insemination.)

Noting Tiffany’s plane crash, Descovich said she thought God saved Tiffany for the state of Wisconsin. 

Tiffany’s proposal would also require that parents be able to review instructional materials, that schools notify parents and obtain consent before letting a student go by a different name or use different pronouns in school, require schools notify parents about violence, threats and crimes that occur on school grounds, implement school report cards, require schools to give parents information about their child’s academic proficiency and classroom behavior twice a year. 

His proposal would allow teachers to remove violent or disruptive students; require behavior intervention plans before a student could be returned to a classroom; prohibit retaliation against teachers for enforcing classroom rules, reporting unsafe conditions, requesting assistance or taking appropriate action to protect students; and establish school safety and parental notification requirements. 

In contrast, Democratic candidate and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has focused his education platform on increasing funding for public schools, including for special education, and providing universal early childhood education for Wisconsinites.

Tiffany’s campaign pointed to the New Richmond school district, which has been the target of an investigation by the Trump administration over its bathroom policies, and a report in the conservative Heartland Post, an online outlet run by talk radio host O’Donnell, about Winneconne High School, where a superintendent retired after controversy over the school district allowing an 18-year-old student to use a preferred name, instead of a legal name, used in the school’s graduation ceremony without the parents’ permission.

Wisconsin Republicans have repeatedly introduced bills that would implement a parents’ bill of rights and require permission before students could go by different names. In the past, lawmakers received help with drafting these measures from the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty. 

Gov. Tony Evers has vetoed those bills. In one veto message, he said the bill was “neither aimed at supporting our parents, our kids, and our schools, nor improving student outcomes, nor fostering collaboration and communication to do what is best for our kids,” but was rather “another attempt to divide our schools and communities and inject political ideology in the very last place it belongs — in our classrooms and our schools.”

Republican candidate Michael Alfonso has said he would support a voucher style system for healthcare, including Medicare, in the U.S., according to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report Friday.

Alfonso, the son-in-law of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, is running against former Democratic state lawmaker Fred Clark to represent Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District. The district, which encompasses a large swath of northern Wisconsin, is currently represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is running for governor.

Alfonso was at a campaign event in River Falls when he was asked about school choice programs that direct public money to cover private school tuition for some students  in Wisconsin, and whether a similar approach might be applied to healthcare. 

Alfons said that the concept is his “entire approach” to healthcare, adding that the current system is a “nightmare.”

“If you look at it like school choice, instead of giving the money to the system or to the marketplace, give it to the people and they can choose their coverage,” Alfonso said.

According to KFF, the policy, also known as a premium support system, would provide a payment to Medicare beneficiaries to help them purchase a health insurance plan, either a private plan, Medicare Advantage plan or traditional Medicare. 

The approach has been supported by representatives in Congress before including former House Speaker and Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan. In 2012, analysts said the approach could leave beneficiaries with higher costs, less coverage or both.

The Medicare Rights Center, a national nonprofit, recently wrote about the issue saying that “under this type of system there would be no standard benefit package and no guarantee that the coverage a person buys with their voucher would cover essential health services.” Medicare beneficiaries currently receive a guaranteed standard of health coverage. 

“As much as I want to get the government out, you can’t do it overnight,” Alfonso said. “The first step is giving the money to you, and you can pick your coverage. If you want a high deductible and save some money, great. If you want a low deductible because you’re someone that’s going to meet that deductible real quick, then awesome. I don’t think the government knows what’s best for you. I think you know what’s best for you.”

Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway announced Friday that she will not run for a third term in office, canceling her reelection bid citing threats to herself, city council members, staff and her family

Rhodes-Conway had initially announced her reelection campaign in July 2026. She was first elected in 2019 and won reelection in 2023 by an 11-point margin. In her statement, she said that she was “confident that voters would judge my record favorably and grant me another term,” but that the “price of serving has become too high.” 

“This was not an easy decision, but it is the right decision for me and my family, our personal safety, mental health and wellbeing,” Rhodes-Conway said. 

Over the summer, Rhodes-Conway and the city faced significant criticism following the killing of 38-year-old Corey Ruiz at the hands of a Madison police officer. A protest encampment on the east side of Madison, near the site of the shooting, was eventually cleared by the city, triggering more controversy. 

This week, the interim independent police monitor who had been investigating the Ruiz shooting was fired in a 14-6 vote by the city’s common council. Local activists, who testified against the firing, protested the council’s vote and shouted “shame” as council members were escorted out of the building by police.

Aeiramique Glass, the independent monitor, had drawn criticism for getting into an altercation with police officers while they worked to clear the protest encampment at the site of the Corey Ruiz shooting. A dispute also emerged within city government over her authority to subpoena materials related to the incident from the police department and the Wisconsin Department of Justice. 

Rhodes-Conway did not directly mention the issue in her statement. 

“Madison has long been home to impassioned and spirited debate. But it is not hyperbole to say local democracy is at risk, not just from MAGA and right-wing extremists in the federal and state governments, but from a toxic political culture that is transcending partisanship and ideology,” Rhodes-Conway said. 

Rhodes-Conway said she wants people to take a “hard look at our local political ecosystem” during the remainder of her term. She said over her time in office she has seen “the balance has shifted from productive discussion to increasingly vitriolic, personal attacks from people who seem not to care about actually understanding and debating an issue.”

“How can any leader govern responsibly when personal attacks and baseless conspiracies carry more weight than facts? How can any mayor be effective when a difference of opinion is cast as unforgivable betrayal that justifies threats of violence?” Rhodes-Conway said. “When I ran for mayor, I expected to make sacrifices – but I did not expect the level of threats to myself, Council members, my staff, and my family. I did not expect our civic discourse to deteriorate so severely. And I did not expect the levels of implicit and explicit sexism to which I have been subjected to from the very beginning of my first campaign.”

Dane County Executive Melissa Agard thanked Rhodes-Conway for her service and said in a statement that she was troubled by the role threats and harassment played in Rhodes-Conway’s decision.

“No one who steps forward to serve their community should have to fear for their safety or the safety of their loved ones. We must do better to ensure that public service remains something people can pursue without intimidation,” Agard said. 

The mayor’s departure creates an open race for the leader of Wisconsin’s capital city. Eight candidates had already announced they would challenge Rhodes-Conway. They include One City Schools founder Kaleem Caire, former Madison Common Council President Syed Abbas, Brian Benford, April Kigeya, Marcus Robert Johnson, Natalia Hacerola and Larry Williams. 

“We need leaders who are more interested in making the government function well than in performing for social media,” Rhodes-Conway said in the statement announcing her departure.  “We need leaders who want to continuously improve, but won’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. We need leaders who are able to listen to and balance a wide range of voices. Above all, we need leaders who put the needs of Madison before their popularity or political futures, and we need to elect leaders who understand the job they are running for.”

Rhodes-Conway said she is proud that during her time in office she has been able to steer the city though the COVID-19 pandemic, dealt with lawmakers who wanted to take “away our funding and powers,” helped build new housing and invest in new infrastructure as well as launch the city’s new bus rapid transit system.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said he would sign a bill to repeal tax incentives for data centers if he’s elected, marking a change in his position on the issue.

Gov. Tony Evers and Wisconsin Republicans approved a provision during the 2023 state budget that exempts data center developers from paying sales and use taxes for the “sale of property and equipment to construct, renovate or operate data centers.” The policy is estimated to have already saved data center developers $1.5 billion. 

However, as data centers have become increasingly unpopular, Democrats and Republicans alike have changed their minds on providing these subsidies. 

A group of Republican lawmakers, some of whom voted for the budget that created the tax subsidies in 2023, introduced a bill earlier this month that would repeal the tax breaks, though the bill won’t go anywhere as the Legislature is out of session.

Crowley said he would “absolutely” sign that bill to repeal the tax subsidies if it were sent to him as governor during an event at the Overture Center on Wednesday evening.

“The fact that these tech companies are getting a billion dollars in tax breaks — it’s being delivered on the backs of hard-working families,” Crowley said. “I want to be very clear about my position. We’re going to be aggressive when it comes down to holding data centers to account, making sure that we protect our land, protect our water, have strict environmental standards, but also communities need to have a seat at the table.”

Crowley had previously been noncommittal when it came to repealing the tax benefit for data centers. He told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he did not “believe Wisconsin should automatically roll back all data center tax incentives” but that he believed that the state needed “a more rigorous review of whether taxpayers are receiving sufficient value for the incentives being provided.” 

Republican candidate and U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany had previously criticized Crowley’s position on the tax incentives, saying that he wanted to give “a blank check to data centers” and that data centers “do not need to be subsidized by us, the taxpayers.” Tiffany has not always been a champion of tough regulation on data centers, either. He previously voted for legislation in Congress that would have banned state and local governments across the country from being able to enforce laws or regulations on AI models, systems, and related digital infrastructure, including data centers, for 10 years. 

Crowley’s changing position comes with less than three weeks left until Election Day and as data centers and AI continue to be unpopular across the political spectrum. A September Marquette Law School poll found that 74% of Wisconsinites say the costs of data centers outweigh the benefits.

This week Crowley laid out an 11-point policy plan for restricting and regulating AI and social media companies. The policies include:

• Requiring platforms to set kids’ accounts and new accounts to the highest privacy setting and cut off unsolicited messages. Users over 18 would have the option to turn the restrictions off. 
• Prohibiting infinite scroll, autoplay and other addictive features for minors’ accounts as well as a ban on push notification for the users overnight and during the school day. 
• Banning surveillance advertising. 
• Allowing parents the option to sue platforms over design choices that harm a child including content promoting suicide, eating disorders and drug sales 
• Regulating AI chatbots by restricting them for users under 13, prohibiting chatbots from posing as doctors and therapists and requiring disclosures on AI chatbots designed to form emotional bonds with individuals
• Increasing the penalties for online predators and sextortion and implementing those same penalties for creating or sharing AI-generated sexual images of children
• Penalizing companies that knowingly make money from scam ads
• Requiring identification verification for advertisers before they can place ads
• Requiring platforms to implement a scam reporting tool that’s easy to use and requiring that they confirm the reports and report the action that they took within a set timeframe
• Funding the state Department of Justice and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to support their work to combat online fraud and enforce anti-trust law
• Investing in county and tribal adult protective services and aging and disability resource centers, so victims of scams have support to recover

Crowley said during the Wednesday evening event that the state needs to do something in the absence of the Trump administration and Congress taking action. 

“It’s unfortunate that the federal government has actually not put in these guardrails to protect our young people, protect our families, but also to protect our seniors,” Crowley said. “Look, I’m a father, I have three daughters and I want to make sure I can protect my girls from these chatbots. You have, you know, social media platforms that allow them to chat about sexuality. That’s not what I want my 9 and 7-year-old to be introduced to. My oldest right now is a freshman at Whitewater. I don’t want her having pictures out there, and all of a sudden, she can’t be protected.” 

Crowley said the policies are aimed at putting the burdens on the tech, social media and AI companies, rather than on individuals. 

Tiffany also supports some guardrails for these companies. He said in a statement to the Examiner that the state needs “common sense guardrails that protect children and seniors, safeguard personal privacy, and prevent sensitive data from falling into the hands of foreign adversaries, including Communist China.” His campaign noted that in Congress Tiffany cosponsored a law aimed at strengthening law enforcement’s ability to investigate financial fraud targeting seniors. The legislation covered scams involving AI.

“We cannot allow artificial intelligence to become another tool for harvesting Americans’ personal information or exploiting vulnerable individuals. We must hold Big Tech accountable when its platforms enable the creation of sexually explicit AI-generated images of children or expose minors to sexually inappropriate chatbot conversations,” Tiffany said. 

Tiffany said he would support imposing age verification requirements for app providers, strengthening parental consent protections and “give parents greater control over their children’s online activity.” 

Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre spent the majority of his time on stage in Waukesha on Tuesday night talking about his time playing football. But when the conversation turned to the election, Favre was blunt about what he would say to hunters, Christians, veterans, farmers, factory workers, truck drivers and school teachers who aren’t planning to vote.

“You can’t sit it out. You can’t sit it out,” Favre, a Mississippi native, said. “You can’t bitch if you don’t vote.”

Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is running against Democratic Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, came on the stage with Favre, who signed a couple of footballs and handed them to Tiffany. The congressman threw them into the crowd gathered in Stein’s Aircraft Services in Waukesha for the get-out-the-vote rally hosted by Hunter Nation, a national nonprofit for hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts.

The event also featured a presentation on delisting the grey wolf, an auction of a Ted Nugent guitar signed by Favre — claimed by the only person who bid at the starting bid of $5,000 — and a performance by Mark Mackay, a country musician. After talking about the importance of being on the “good side of this battle,” he introduced a song called “I Am Love,” saying that’s what musicians should be talking about instead of politics. 

Tiffany told the Examiner there was no “greater icon in Wisconsin” than Favre and he was glad he could be there to speak on voting and hunting issues. He expressed no concern when asked how his campaign’s accountability and anti-fraud agenda matches up with Favre’s entanglement in a fraud scandal in Mississippi. Favre has repaid the state of Mississippi over $1 million for speeches he was paid for but didn’t deliver, and he is still a defendant in a civil case filed by the Mississippi Department of Human Services to recoup millions of dollars in misspent federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families welfare funds, some of which he allegedly used to build a volleyball stadium.

“He’s appeared before Congress and talked about how requirements need to be tightened up for these various programs,” Tiffany said. “I’m going to do that as governor. I mean accountability is a big part of our agenda to make sure that all agencies are audited and make sure that no one is stealing from the taxpayers.”

Tiffany hit on a number of his campaign priorities, including rooting out fraud and auditing state government, during the rally. One of the biggest cheers he received was for saying he’d sign a bill to open a hunting season on sandhill cranes. 

“Yeah, baby!” one man yelled out in response. 

Waukesha County, one of the historically  Republican-leaning “WOW counties,” has trended a little less red in recent elections, including in the 2026 April state Supreme Court race.

Rep. Adam Neylon (R-Pewaukee), who is running for reelection to the Assembly and, simultaneously, for Waukesha County executive, said Tiffany has been putting in the work in the county to ensure people turn out and vote for Republicans there.

“He is everywhere. You would think he’s running for a local office in Waukesha County,” Neylon said. “He’s run a very aggressive campaign where he has really committed to the ground game. He’s also really strong at retail politics. He shows up, he listens and he speaks the language of Wisconsin.”

Attorney general candidate Eric Toney told the Examiner that Republicans “can’t take any area for granted.”

“Waukesha County, certainly has been crucial over the years with Republican voters or conservative voters in this area, and we just need people all across the state coming out to vote, and not just talking to folks that might live in their own city or county.” 

Rep. Jim Piwowarczyk (R-Hubertus), who is seeking reelection to his Assembly district that represents parts of Washington County, said he thinks the election will come down to turnout. Recent Marquette Law School polling has shown Crowley up slightly ahead of Tiffany. 

“We, as Republicans, if Tom Tiffany’s down three points, we actually consider that to be a good thing for our side. We think our candidates usually pull a little bit or actually end up doing a little bit better. I think it’s neck and neck right now. It’s very close. I think it’s going to come out to turnout,” Piwowarczyk said. “I’ve seen the polling myself and it’s very close.”

Piwowarczyk said the rally and other events are helping people get excited. He said he has been knocking doors in his district and has also been up to the other areas of the state, including the Green Bay area, a purple region that contains multiple competitive state legislative races.

“We have a lot of people excited to get out there. I think that they have been very frustrated by Tony Evers and the ever-increasing taxes, and they’re excited for Tiffany,” Piwowarczyk said. 

U.S. Reps. Bryan Steil and Scott Fitzgerald also attended the event and warned that Democrats want to pursue a radical agenda most voters don’t agree with. 

“When we see how radicalized the Democratic party has become, where they are going after all aspects of our culture from putting boys in girls sports to higher taxes… Their attacks on core aspects of our culture are real and substantive, and they will want to come after our hunting rights.”  

Steil told the crowd not to underestimate turnout in Milwaukee and Madison, the state’s largest cities. His own seat, long considered safe, is a target for Democrats this year and Democrat Mitchell Berman is giving him a competitive race.

“Run on the assumption that the Democrats are going to vote in full strength here in the liberal core cities in Wisconsin,” Steil said. “Every single person in the state of Wisconsin, who has a world view like those of us in this room, who stays home in three weeks from today, is effectively voting for a Democrat, and we need to get that message out to our friends, our family, our neighbors, our co-workers, folks at church.”

A number of people in the crowd wore Favre jerseys, and his presence was part of what brought out Michael Harrell, a 74-year-old New Berlin resident. He told the Examiner with a smile that he attended the rally because he “wanted to see Brett Favre.”

“I don’t know Tom Tiffany’s voting record or any of that stuff, but I vote Republican regardless,” Harrell said. He said he’s voted for the party since former President Richard Nixon was elected. 

“We’ve got God in our platform. We got common sense, and even though there are the RINOs, we got a lot of good people out there,” Harrell said. “We love America like the president does.”

President Donald Trump isn’t running this year, but in  recent weeks, he has been on the campaign trail telling people to pretend he is on the ballot.

Neylon said Trump’s absence from the ballot has been a concern for some, but he’s seen enthusiasm growing for the midterms.

“Republicans are going to turn out,” Neylon said. “Republicans are over performing in Wisconsin compared nationally, and I think part of that is because we have really good candidates, and I think Wisconsin is going to be another example of why candidates really matter.”

Trump has been a motivator for Republicans to get out to vote in recent elections but he has also fallen in popularity in Wisconsin. Tiffany has recently distanced himself from the second-term president, despite reliably voting for the president’s agenda in Congress and receiving Trump’s strong endorsement. This week he would not say in an interview with WMTJ whether he approves of the job Trump is doing. 

“The president is doing what he believes is best for the United States of America,” Tiffany said.

Neylon said Tiffany has been able to insulate himself from Trump’s unpopularity by keeping on message and talking about lowering taxes, reducing regulations and protecting Act 10, the law passed under Gov. Scott Walker that restricted collective bargaining for public employees. 

“He’s been really consistent and focused on a message that’s different than some of the national messages you hear from federal candidates, so I don’t think people are necessarily tying them together,” Neylon said. “When you look at how each person is spending their time, there’s differences, and people see that.”

The Wisconsin state Senate and Assembly are also up for grabs this year. The Republican Assembly members said the quality of the candidates running in competitive seats will be the thing that helps Republicans hold their majorities. 

Neylon said people shouldn’t judge Wisconsin races by “national headwinds.” 

“I’m more concerned that we lose majorities at the federal level than I am at the state level,” Neylon said. 

Harrell said he thought Trump could help Tiffany get over the finish line. He said he thinks Trump has been doing a good job and that he isn’t too worried about high gas prices, which recently reached record highs.

“He’s gonna pull something here, I think, on the gas and this stuff. We’re gonna maybe see that before the election,” Harrell said. He added that he thinks Democratic candidate David Crowley has “flubbed up” Milwaukee and doesn’t want him to lead the state. 

“There’s so many crazy people nowadays, you just, you don’t know. You don’t know what’s gonna happen,” Harrell said. “I mean you hope God intervenes and has already got it planned out, but all we can do is hope — hope, and pray.”

A preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report released on Oct. 13 found that an error by pilot Leonard Boltz was the cause of the plane crash with Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany.

Last month, Tiffany was flying with Boltz from La Crosse to Wausau when Boltz’s plane suffered what was subsequently described as a “mechanical failure.” Boltz crash landed the plane into Lake Wausau and the pair swam to a shallow area where they were rescued. Both sustained minor injuries. 

Tiffany, who had taken at least 12 flights with Boltz over the course of his campaign, praised Boltz during a press conference the day after the crash.

“It took some real expertise to be able to land that plane as he did,” Tiffany said.

The investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board remains ongoing, but the preliminary report stated Boltz told his aviation mechanic after the crash that the loss of engine power was due to his delay in switching fuel tanks and not turning on the electric fuel boost pump.

According to the report, Boltz had flown throughout the day, first flying from Langlade County, where he chairs a local Republican party, with a full load of 70 gallons of fuel. While flying from La Crosse to Wausau and preparing to land, the report states that Boltz “observed a higher-than-normal engine exhaust gas temperature.”

According to the report, Boltz did not refuel the airplane at La Crosse before the flight departed for Wausau, and he stated that he had selected the left main fuel tank for both flight legs except for when he briefly selected the auxiliary tanks while in cruise flight before switching back to the left tank.

The report states that all the fuel tank caps were found secure in a postaccident examination. The left main tank had no fuel while the right main tank and both auxiliary tanks were full of fuel.

The report states that the Beech K35 plane was “substantially damaged” in the crash into Lake Wausau.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore came to Wisconsin looking for some company. 

Moore, the first Black governor of Maryland and the only Black governor currently serving in office, traveled to Wisconsin on Friday to campaign with Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. The two made campaign stops in Beloit, Racine, Kenosha and Milwaukee.

If elected, Crowley will be the first Black governor of Wisconsin. Moore told a group of about 120 gathered in a room in New Zion Baptist Church in Beloit that they have the opportunity to make history. However, he also said that’s not the reason Crowley should be elected.

“David understands that making history is not the assignment,” Moore said. “Making child poverty history is… Making history is not the assignment. Making pathways to work, wages and wealth for all of our citizens, and not just some, is. Making history is not the assignment. Getting this dark money out of politics — it is.”

Moore, who is only the third Black governor elected in U.S. history and a former U.S. Army  captain and paratrooper with the 82nd airborne division, came to Wisconsin riding a wave of popularity. Polls show he is leading his Republican opponent by nearly 30 points in his own reelection campaign. That’s, a different reality than in Wisconsin where Crowley is maintaining a slight lead over Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany by a margin in the low single digits. 

The crowd that gathered in Beloit to hear from Crowley and Moore was excited. One woman wore a colorful shirt with President Barack Obama’s face on it and was excited about getting her picture taken with both Moore and Crowley. Obama endorsed Cowley just the day before Moore’s visit. 

Beloit is the home of Diane Hendricks, one of three billionaires contributing millions of dollars  to try to elect Crowley’s Republican opponent, Tom Tiffany.

During his Beloit campaign stop, Crowley criticized the amount of money being spent in the election, saying it could be used to help fund public schools, ensure childcare is affordable and expand Badgercare.

“All that money we’re seeing being spent and dumped into these elections. We could be solving the very issues that we’re talking about,” Crowley said. 

Crowley told reporters that having Moore campaigning with him would “help get us over the finish line and bring more people into the fold.” There are three weeks left until Election Day. 

New Zion Baptist Church Pastor James M. Ivy told the Examiner that the church was happy to open its doors for Crowley and Moore, believing that Crowley will be “what’s best for our city” and “what’s best for our state.”

Ivy said Crowley has impressed him as a candidate because he is “very connected to our story” and “not backed up by billionaires,” noting his support for people who are struggling including policies to improve access to jobs and housing and address homelessness.

At the end of the rally, Ivy told the crowd that they need to do everything they can to help get Crowley elected. 

Moore told reporters that Crowley is “the right candidate for the right moment” and that’s why he wanted to travel to the Midwest to help. 

“I believe in David Crowley,” he told the crowd, “I respect people who are public servants who understand that public service is not for private gain. I respect people who understand that public service is about what are you going to do to be the legacy for those who will come after you… We have seen how David has risen to the occasion time after time. We have seen that he is willing to fight for families like yours and families like mine time after time. We have seen that he has never compromised his values, that he is willing to take on anybody, that he understands.”

Moore told attendees that he couldn’t “stress enough” the importance of who the governor is, especially given the current occupant of the White House. He said that “who you have in that statehouse matters” when there is an “overreaching and unchecked federal executive.” He noted that governors play a role in many significant decisions, including certifying elections and signing state budgets. 

Of Tiffany, Moore said that people have watched him “cosign on some of the most destructive policies” and vote for President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” which included deep cuts to healthcare as well as supporting Trump’s war in Iran. 

Quoting Maya Angelou, Moore said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them.” The crowd repeated the phrase. “Here’s what I know, and here’s what I believe, Wisconsin,” he added, “you cannot send Tom Tiffany to the governor’s mansion.” 

Moore told reporters that he has known Crowley for a few years and was introduced to him by outgoing Gov. Tony Evers during Evers’ first term. Evers became a mentor of Moore’s when he was first elected, he said. 

Moore said after Evers introduced him to Crowley, “We just struck up a quick and early friendship.”

“We’ve had a lot of conversations about, not just the race, but also about a transition — how do you think about governance,” Moore said. 

“This stuff happens fast,” Moore said, adding that he thinks Crowley is uniquely prepared given his experience as the Milwaukee County executive. “These are serious times. These are times when we are watching a federal administration that has systematically attacked the relationship between the federal government and the states. … David is walking into this with a very sober understanding of what awaits, but also with a very optimistic view as to what can get done in this moment.”

During his second term in office, Trump has been in conflict with Democratic governors, including last week with Moore. Trump traveled to Baltimore to announce a multibillion dollar submarine manufacturing investment and requested that Moore be removed from the event’s speaking list, even though Moore helped negotiate and secure the deal.

Moore said that in dealing with the Trump administration, he is focused on protecting his constituents. 

“I’m a soldier by nature, and I’m a soldier by training. That’s what I do. While I will work with anybody — and this is the advice that I would give to David as well — I will bow to nobody,” More said. “Whenever the president or anybody thinks that a prerequisite of our relationship is being subservient to them, they will learn from me, they got another think coming.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency confirmed $17.9 million in disaster aid is being made available for Wisconsinites in Forest, Outagamie, Vilas and Winnebago counties to assist with damage caused by a tornado and severe storms on July 27. 

President Donald Trump announced via a post on Truth Social on Wednesday that he would be approving the money after speaking with U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is running for governor. The aid is meant to help communities after a tornado and severe storms hit parts of Appleton and Menasha in July, destroying and damaging homes.

Gov. Tony Evers, who had issued a call for aid in August, said Wednesday that he had not heard from the federal administration, cast doubt on when the money would be available and accused Trump and Tiffany of playing politics. Evers initially sent a request for federal aid to Trump in August, after assessments found more than $8.2 million in damage to more than 2,300 residential properties and more than $13.8 million in public sector damage. The request had so far gone unfulfilled and in the absence of aid, local communities had turned to fundraising efforts.

Evers’ office did not respond immediately Thursday to a request for comment about whether they have yet heard directly from the federal government.

In a press release Wednesday evening, FEMA said that individuals who sustained losses in the four counties should first file claims with their insurance providers and then apply for assistance through FEMA online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 1-800-621-3362 or by using the FEMA App. 

The assistance will support grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and families recover from the effects of the disaster. 

State, tribal and eligible local governments as well as certain private nonprofit organizations will also be able to access public assistance federal funding “on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged in Vilas and Winnebago counties.” 

According to Troy Christensen, a FEMA public affairs specialist, the $17.9 million in assistance for Wisconsin reflected preliminary damage assessments in the affected communities. He said in an email to the Examiner that the amount is a “projected initial figure that may change as recovery costs are finalized.”

Christensen said that staff will help each applicant to “navigate their unique situation and specific needs.”