Wisconsin governor hopefuls clash over taxes, Trump ties and abortion at debate

In the sole debate of the Wisconsin governor’s race, Democrat David Crowley and Republican Tom Tiffany faced off on economic and social issues. Crowley accused Tiffany of aligning with President Donald Trump and of supporting a recent federal tax cut that, according to him, raised prices and cut aid programs. Tiffany countered by promising to reverse state tax increases and to give surplus dollars back to residents, rejecting new programs that would raise taxes.

The discussion turned to abortion, where Tiffany said he would uphold the existing 20-week law despite his past support for stricter “heartbeat” bills, while Crowley said he would work with the legislature to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. Tiffany also defended his 2020 election vote record, attributing his stance to concerns over campaign financing. The debate highlighted the tight race to replace retiring Governor Tony Evers in the first open gubernatorial contest since 2010.