Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany has officially joined the race to replace outgoing Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. Evers, who was elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022, announced over the summer that he would not be seeking a third term.
Tiffany joined Milwaukee area talk show host Dan O'Donnell to make the announcement:
BREAKING: Wisconsin Congressman @TomTiffanyWI has announced live on "The Dan O'Donnell Show" that he is running for Governor in 2026. https://t.co/jZc1bdz0fW
— Dan O'Donnell (@DanODonnellShow) September 23, 2025
Here's more from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany on Tuesday became the third Republican to launch a 2026 campaign for governor, formally jumping into the race after long teasing a bid.
Tiffany, 67, is now the highest profile Republican in the contest. Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann and former Navy SEAL and Whitefish Bay manufacturing CEO Bill Berrien are already on the campaign trail.
...
Tiffany, who has represented Wisconsin's northwestern 7th Congressional District since 2020, had for months teased a run for governor and kept active a gubernatorial campaign website domain name for more than two years, though his fundraising lagged behind other declared candidates in the 2026 race.
In a discussion with O'Donnell, Tiffany said, "It's time for new leadership" and that he "has the vision to lead Wisconsin." During the interview, Tiffany also criticized Evers for leaving the next governor with a "massive" budget deficit and for his record on education, stating that "collapse of our educational system in Wisconsin should be abhorrent to everyone."
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Recent reports show that nearly one-third of Wisconsin students cannot read on grade level and Black students in Milwaukee Public Schools test at the bottom nationally in reading and math.
O'Donnell asked Tiffany if he's concerned for safety following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and if those concerns had an impact on Tiffany's decision to get into the governor's race. Tiffany pointed to the founders of this country, saying, "Many of them were financially ruined" for working to free this country from Great Britain. He added, "People will stand up and defend freedom and liberty in this country. And if not me, who?"
In a video posted to X, Tiffany laid out his vision for Wisconsin:
Madison politics may smell like the barn, but as a farm kid, I know how to clean up the bull... I will roll up my sleeves and deliver results for every Wisconsinite.
— Tom Tiffany (@TomTiffanyWI) September 23, 2025
I’m Tom Tiffany, and I’m running to be your next governor. pic.twitter.com/LXfBfXS0b3
Tiffany said he's proud and grateful for all Wisconsin has given him before saying, "But under Democrat leadership in Madison, that dream is slipping away. Farms are disappearing, factories are shutting down, and our children's educational results have fallen behind Mississippi."
Tiffany vowed to freeze property taxes and protect our farmland, defend girls' sports, and restore sanity to government.
In addition to his Republican opponents, Tiffany faces an increasingly crowded Democratic field, which includes current Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, and State Sen. Kelda Roys.
The race is seen as a crucial target for Republicans, as Wisconsin is a vital swing state that President Trump won by less than a percentage point in 2024.
Editor’s Note: The Democrat Party has never been less popular as voters reject its globalist agenda.
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