Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley outlined his priorities as Wisconsin’s governor-elect, pledging to lower costs, deliver property tax relief and expand access to health care and child care.
Tom Kertscher / Wisconsin Watch
Tom Kertscher joined Wisconsin Watch as a full-time Milwaukee-based reporter in October 2024 after starting as a freelance Fact Briefs reporter in January 2023. In addition to contributing to Wisconsin Watch’s collaboration with The Gigafact Project to combat online misinformation, he reports on the rapid expansion of data centers and other statewide issues. Kertscher is a former longtime reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a contributing writer for Milwaukee Magazine and the author of two sports books, on Al McGuire and Brett Favre.
Posted inGovernment & Politics
11 claims about the candidates for Wisconsin governor — and the facts
Check out these Fact Briefs from Wisconsin Watch and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Posted inGovernment & Politics
David Crowley, Tom Tiffany clash on taxes, abortion and private school vouchers in Wisconsin governor debate
Crowley used every opening to tie Tiffany to Donald Trump while Tiffany made the case for using the state’s $3 billion surplus to cut taxes.
Posted inEconomic Development
Use of NDAs for Wisconsin data centers wider than previously known
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. signed five nondisclosure agreements with developers, including three for projects for which local NDAs weren’t previously disclosed.
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Public Safety & Criminal Justice
Did Milwaukee juvenile homicides increase 57% under David Crowley?
No. The city of Milwaukee saw a 57% jump in juvenile homicide suspects in 2025, but there isn’t a specific trend in juvenile victims since 2020.
Posted inGovernment & Politics
Key questions with Wisconsin attorney general candidates highlight their stark differences
Incumbent Democrat Josh Kaul repeatedly sues Trump administration; Republican Eric Toney faults Kaul’s crime lab testing.
Posted inGovernment & Politics
David Crowley caps unlikely comeback with win in Wisconsin Democratic primary for governor
The Milwaukee County executive narrowly defeated Madison Rep. Francesca Hong after dropping out of the race and mounting a late comeback.
Posted inEconomic Development
The public demanded data center news, and Wisconsin Watch is delivering
For the past six months we’ve produced multiple stories to inform the public debate about this hot topic.
Posted inEconomic Development
In a Wisconsin land rush, data centers made them millionaires
Some sellers whose properties fetched several times the fair market value are dissatisfied, and their former neighbors aren’t happy either.
Posted inEconomic Development
Wisconsin data center tax break to cost state more than $2 billion
Designed to lure data centers, the sales tax break is now drawing scrutiny. But some say the development boom will boost other types of revenue.