Wisconsin Governor Voter Guide: Crowley and Tiffany on Abortion and the State Surplus
Two candidates are on the ballot for governor of Wisconsin on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026: Democrat David Crowley and Republican Tom Tiffany. The seat is open because Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is not seeking a third term.
The Digital Free Press voter guide video compares the two side by side on abortion and the state surplus. Here is where each one stands, based on the video and reporting from Wisconsin news outlets.
Wisconsin elects its governor and lieutenant governor on a joint ticket. Crowley's running mate is Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, and Tiffany's is former Lancaster Mayor David Varnam. Ballotpedia also lists independent Jamie Jo Carothers as a registered write-in candidate for governor; her name will not be printed on the ballot.
David Crowley (Democrat)
Crowley is in his second term as Milwaukee County Executive. When he was elected in 2020, he was the youngest person and the first Black person to hold that office, according to the Wisconsin Examiner. He previously represented Milwaukee in the state Assembly, and he helped reach a bipartisan shared revenue deal between Milwaukee and Republican legislators.
On abortion, the video says Crowley would push to enshrine abortion access in the state constitution. The Wausau Pilot & Review voter guide reports the same position: Crowley would seek to put abortion access into the Wisconsin Constitution. As a state lawmaker, he sponsored a resolution declaring abortion health care; it did not advance in the Republican-controlled Legislature.
On the state surplus, the video says Crowley backed a $1.8 billion plan to use the surplus for tax relief and schools. According to the Wausau Pilot & Review, Crowley was the only candidate to support that bipartisan $1.8 billion proposal, which would have used the surplus for both tax relief and school funding. He generally supports more state investment in schools, day care and health care, the outlet reported.
Tom Tiffany (Republican)
Tiffany represents Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House and is leaving that seat to run for governor. He served in the state Assembly from 2011 to 2013 and in the state Senate from 2013 to 2020, and he has the endorsement of President Donald Trump, according to the Wisconsin Examiner. He and his wife ran a tour boat business in the Northwoods for 29 years.
On abortion, the video says Tiffany supports Wisconsin's current 20-week ban and co-authored a six-week ban in Congress. The Wausau Pilot & Review reports that Tiffany supports the state's current ban after 20 weeks but previously backed more restrictive bills. Congressional records list him as a cosponsor of the Heartbeat Protection Act, a bill that would have banned most abortions about six weeks into pregnancy, and he now calls the 20-week limit "settled law," according to The 19th, as published by PBS News.
On the state surplus, the video says Tiffany would return the nearly $3 billion surplus to taxpayers through tax cuts. The Wausau Pilot & Review reports that Tiffany said he would return every dollar of the state's nearly $3 billion surplus to taxpayers. His campaign platform also calls for cutting property taxes and reducing regulations on housing, day care and health care.
Where to Follow the Candidates
David Crowley: @DavidCCrowley on X and @crowleyforwi on TikTok. Tom Tiffany: @TomTiffanyWI on X and @tomtiffanywi on TikTok.
Early in-person voting runs through Nov. 1. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. This guide is for information only; The Digital Free Press does not endorse any candidate.
Yossi Schmidt, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Digital Free Press
Hold Everyone Accountable.
Sources: Wausau Pilot & Review, "Here's a voter guide to the Wisconsin governor candidates in election" (Oct. 15, 2026): https://wausaupilotandreview.com/2026/10/15/heres-a-voter-guide-to-the-wisconsin-governor-candidates-in-election/ ; Wisconsin Examiner, Voter Guide, Governor: https://wisconsinexaminer.com/voter-guides/contests/2026-general-governor/ ; PBS News (The 19th), "The Republican governor candidates walking back some of their abortion stances": https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/the-republican-governor-candidates-walking-back-some-of-their-abortion-stances ; Congress.gov, H.R.705 (117th Congress), Heartbeat Protection Act of 2021, cosponsors: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/705/cosponsors ; Ballotpedia, Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2026: https://ballotpedia.org/Wisconsin_gubernatorial_and_lieutenant_gubernatorial_election,_2026 ; David Crowley campaign: https://www.crowleyforwi.com/ ; Tom Tiffany campaign: https://tomtiffany.com/
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