Reflections on the Gubernatorial Debate
We had a packed room at our office on Wednesday night to watch the debate between David Crowley and Tom Tiffany. This was the only debate that Tiffany would agree to. The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association (WBA) canceled its scheduled October 9, 2026, debate after Tiffany rejected the invitation, marking the first time since 1990 the WBA did not host a gubernatorial debate.The TMJ4-TV/ UW-Milwaukee Proposal for a debate the second proposed joint appearance was canceled after Tiffany declined to participate. Tiffany had said that he only needed one debate to lay out the issues. David Crowley and media critics accused Tiffany of ducking debates to avoid questions about his congressional record, federal health care votes, and ties to national policies, and duck them he did. You can watch the full debate here: FULL | 2026 Wisconsin Gubernatorial Debate.
Not only did he duck the issues on the stage, but he has scrubbed his website of the issues he supported and voted for in the past. His extreme position on abortion is one of the issues he wants voters to ignore. Tiffany supported a national ban on abortion in accordance with the “Heartbeat Protection Act” of 2021. According to Philip Shulman, a spokesman for the DPW, "Tariff Tom is scrubbing his website of abortion and other issues because he knows he’s going to have to deceive voters about his extreme record if he’s going to win next November. Wisconsinites can’t take Tariff Tom at his word, and we’re going to make sure they know his true record."
The issue came up again on WISN-TV's "Upfront" on Sept. 23. Matt Smith asked the question: “But what if the Republican-controlled Legislature passed a bill that set the ban at less than 20 weeks?”
“I'd have to evaluate it," Tiffany said. "But it is not my goal to change anything."
Tiffany is endorsed by Donald Trump, Scott Walker, Wisconsin Right to Life, billionaires, and other right-wing politicians and organizations. You don’t get endorsements from the radical Wisconsin Right to Life machine if you are going to “evaluate” the abortion law. Tiffany will be just like Scott Walker who said he would never sign “Right to Work” legislation if it came across his desk. Walker signed that anti-union legislation into law the minute it landed on his desk. Tiffany will do the same with a “Heartbeat Law”. Like Scott Walker and Diane Hendricks, (Hendricks financed Walker and now Tiffany), Tiffany will “govern” as his owners tell him to do.
I laughed out loud when Tiffany said teachers should get higher pay. He gleefully voted for ACT 10, Scott Walker’s monumental legislation that gutted bargaining rights for public school teachers and other public employees. Act 10 also stripped one billion dollars out of our public school system, the majority of which is K-12 schools. We have been paying for that ever since with local school referendums. Tom Tiffany would privatize every public school if he thought his billionaire donors could make some money in the deal. Guess who’s wages wouldn’t go up.
So yes, Tiffany ducked the issues, including his support of negating hundreds of thousands of votes in 2020. But, you know what they say about ducks, “if they walk like a duck, and talk like a duck…they are a duck.” On the other hand, David Crowley was impressive. I especially liked his forcefulness, when he reminded viewers about Tiffany’s votes on not releasing the Epstein files.
Republicans as usual are using lies, racism and fear.
Vote for David Crowley, he will be an excellent Governor. Come meet him on Saturday at noon at our office.
Early voting ends next Friday. Go vote today!
Thanks for reading.
Deb