Tom Tiffany speaks during a campaign rally near Wausau. MWC photo by Mike Leischner
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Republican Candidate for Governor Tom Tiffany held his first official campaign rally, roughly 27 hours after announcing his intent on a Madison talk show.
The 7th Congressional District Representative says he wants to see the state get back to the basics- taking care of things like infrastructure and education. “That’s the kind of stuff that should be at the top of the list. To me, that is the ‘needs’ of the people of the state of Wisconsin, not the wants. Sometimes our elected officials like Governor Evers and others get those two things mixed up.”
Tiffany has been considering the run for months, including many discussions with his family and at least one chat with President Donald Trump, which he says came in August after Tony Evers announced he would not run for a third term. “I let the President know that I was seriously considering [a run for Governor.] We had a good discussion, largely revolving around the 7th Congressional District, [but] I have not talked to him since.
“We will see how he responds. If he chooses to endorse me, I will certainly welcome that endorsement,” he added.
The event was held at the Petersen barn near Wausau, with a crowd of nearly 200 on hand, according to the owner. During his speech, Tiffany announced what could be one of his platforms: a freeze on property taxes. When asked how that could look, he says an increase in shared revenue with municipalities could get the job done. “Wisconsin’s budget is now almost as large as Florida’s, and Florida has 3.5 times as many people. There is plenty of money in Madison, I think we can help out local municipalities to do a property tax freeze. I think the state can help out, espeically after this [last] spending blowout.”
When asked if that would mean action to suspend school funding referendums, Tiffany said he hadn’t dug into those details and “would have to study that a bit.”
Tiffany also committed to finishing out his term in Washington while campaigning. He is the 6th major-party candidate to announce, joining Republicans Josh Schoemann and Bill Berrien. Democrat candidates include current Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez and State Representatives Kelda Roys and Francesca Hong. A handful of independents have also declared for the seat.
Partisan Primaries will be held in August 2026, with the election in November.
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