With less than two weeks until Election Day and early voting already underway, Wisconsin’s gubernatorial candidates met for the only televised debate. Both attacked their opponent’s biggest weaknesses and provided further insight into how they would govern.
Democrat David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, and Republican Tom Tiffany, who represents the 7th Congressional District in northern Wisconsin, are competing in the first open race for governor since 2010 after Democratic Gov. Tony Evers did not seek a third term.
In a midterm year when the national environment favors Democrats, Marquette University Law School polling has shown a close contest between Crowley and Tiffany. The most recent poll in late September showed Crowley leading within the margin of error 49% to 46% among likely voters with about 5% still undecided. The next Marquette poll is scheduled for release Oct. 28.
The debate, held at the law school Wednesday with only news media in attendance, arrived on Wisconsin’s second day of in-person early voting. More than 55,000 people cast their ballots on the first day, up from more than 33,000 at the same time ahead of the last gubernatorial race in 2022, according to data from the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
Here are some key takeaways from Wednesday night’s debate.
Crowley was on the attack
Crowley used any opening in the debate to criticize Tiffany for his votes in Congress in support of President Donald Trump and the millions in campaign funding Tiffany received from GOP megadonors.
Early in the debate, Crowley pointed to Tiffany’s votes against ending U.S. military involvement in the Iran war and blocking the president’s tariffs to suggest the congressman doesn’t care about lowering costs for Wisconsinites.
“We don’t need what is happening in Washington, D.C., coming into the state of Wisconsin,” Crowley said. “It is very clear that he is working for Donald Trump and the billionaires who are funding his campaign.”
Campaign finance reports from July through September show Tiffany’s largest donor was the Republican Party of Wisconsin, which received nearly 95% of its $29 million in donations from billionaires Diane Hendricks, the founder of ABC Supply Co., and Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein, who founded the Uline shipping supplies company. The next campaign finance report deadline, which will show the candidates’ financial position ahead of Election Day, is Monday.
Tiffany, who was endorsed by Trump earlier this year, attempted to separate himself from the president, who is unpopular in Wisconsin ahead of Election Day. The September Marquette poll found just 38% of registered voters approve of Trump’s job in his second term.
“While my opponent, you can see early on in the debate, is consistently focused on being against Donald Trump, I’m for Wisconsin,” Tiffany said.
More insight on how Crowley, Tiffany would govern
The moderators from WISN-TV in Milwaukee pressed Crowley and Tiffany for more details on the campaign promises they’ve made while traveling the state over the last year.
Tiffany has called for returning Wisconsin’s $3 billion surplus to taxpayers. During the debate, Tiffany explained that he would do that through “long term” reductions in property and income taxes. In remarks after the debate, Tiffany added he would not support one-time rebates, which were part of the failed bipartisan surplus deal Evers and Republican legislative leaders negotiated earlier this year. Tiffany opposed that plan.
“The one thing that I don’t want to do is just one-time rebates,” Tiffany said after the debate. “I want it to be long-term, lasting tax relief, so people in Wisconsin can plan, so they can plan their futures.”
Tiffany said he opposes raising transportation user fees, instituting tolls or indexing the gas tax to inflation. Crowley said he would be open to new user fees and that the state should be open to tolling to fund transportation projects, but he also opposed indexing the gas tax, which was discontinued in 2006.
Crowley reiterated his position from the primary that he would not eliminate the Milwaukee school voucher program and said he would keep the statewide program in place.
“I will work with the Legislature,” Crowley said. “But as of this moment, we are not in a position to push all of these children towards any of our public schools.”
Asked if he would sign a bill to eliminate income limits on school vouchers, Tiffany said he would have to take a look at it if elected.
“I would be willing to raise those income limits,” Tiffany said. “But I would sit down and take a look at where we should move them at this time.”
Crowley noted the voucher program was originally intended to help low-income Milwaukee students, but the statewide program has allowed families who could already afford to send their children to private school to receive a taxpayer subsidy.
Crowley explains data center policy shifts
On data centers, Tiffany pointed out that Crowley in the past week changed his position on the state’s sales tax exemption for data centers, which is worth some $2 billion.
“Why would some of the wealthiest companies in the world need subsidies from the taxpayers of Wisconsin?” said Tiffany, who has campaigned on repealing data center tax breaks.
Crowley now says he would sign legislation, proposed by Republicans, to repeal the sales tax exemption. Previously he said he would review the exemption.
Candidates stick to their positions on abortion
Tiffany said he would not sign a “fetal heartbeat bill,” which would ban abortions once a heartbeat is detected, if it reaches his desk. Tiffany voted for Wisconsin’s current abortion ban after 20 weeks when he was in the Legislature and he said he would maintain that “middle ground” in the abortion debate.
Crowley did not directly answer whether he would sign a bill that legalized abortion with no gestational limits and said he did not believe such a bill would reach his desk if he is elected. He has proposed a constitutional amendment, which would need the support of the Legislature, that would protect the right to an abortion.
“These are discussions that need to be made between a doctor and a patient,” Crowley said. “When you think about any type of abortion past the 20 week, it’s usually dealing with extreme circumstances.”
Fact-checking the debate
Both candidates repeated claims that Wisconsin Watch has found to be inaccurate.
Tiffany claimed during the debate that Crowley “wants to remove half of the prison inmates here in Wisconsin.” Crowley has voiced support for cutting Wisconsin’s prison population in half over time using a variety of means, such as legalizing marijuana and funding jail diversion programs.
Crowley claimed Tiffany “provided the tax breaks to the big tech companies who are steamrolling our communities today with these data centers.” The tax cuts were part of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill and applied to a multitude of companies across sectors. They were not specifically for tech companies or data centers, as Crowley had previously claimed.
Clashing closing statements
Each candidate had a minute to give their closing statements. Crowley highlighted the contrast between himself and Tiffany, while Tiffany recounted his recent emergency plane landing experience. Here’s each candidate’s entire statement:
Crowley: “I’m running to be your governor because Wisconsin families are working harder than ever and still falling behind. And I get it. I grew up in a working-class family, and I’m raising three amazing daughters. Congressman Tom Tiffany, he doesn’t get it. He went to Washington and he sold Wisconsin out. He went to go work for Donald Trump and the billionaires bankrolling him. They got tax breaks. You got higher bills. They got tariffs. You got higher prices. They got their endless war. You got record high gas prices. This election is about who your governor works for. If Congressman Tom Tiffany becomes our governor, he’s going to work for them, not for you, just like he did in Washington, voting with Donald Trump 100% of the time. But me, I’ll work for you. I’ll lower your costs. I’ll expand health care. I’ll make sure we can improve our schools and bring people together to get it done. That’s why I’m asking for your vote. Thank you, and go Brewers.”
Tiffany: “It was a month ago that a plane that I was in had to make an emergency landing on Lake Wausau and run up to the airport. And as the pilot and I exited that plane, he dialed 911. From the time that call hit dispatch in downtown Wausau to the boat picking us up in the middle of Lake Wausau was 16 minutes. Only 16 minutes. I remember hearing after we made the call that you could hear the sirens and then you could see the lights, but it only took them 16 minutes. Ladies and gentlemen, I saw the best of Wisconsin that night. As your next governor, I’m going to make sure you see the best of Wisconsin. I hope to earn your vote to lead this state.”
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