Serving his third term in Congress, he joins a competitive race to succeed Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, in the presidential battleground state.
U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) announced on Sept. 23 that he will run for governor of Wisconsin in the 2026 general election.
Tiffany, who represents Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, unveiled his campaign in a video posted on social media. He joins a small field of Republicans competing for their party’s nomination, against a larger field of Democrats who are seeking to succeed 73-year-old incumbent Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, who is retiring after two terms.
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
“Farms are disappearing, factories are shutting down, and our children’s educational results are falling behind Mississippi,” said Tiffany in the video. “I will freeze property taxes, protect our farmland from Communist China, and I‘ll preserve our Wisconsin values … Girls’ sports will stay for girls, moms will be moms [and] not ’inseminated persons,’ and common sense will win,” Tiffany added, indicating that taxation, farm policy, and social issues would be the policy focus of his campaign.
“We cannot let Minnesota’s madness and Illinois’s insanity to take over here in Wisconsin,” he said, referring to the Democratic-run states that neighbor Wisconsin, which have adopted progressive policies in recent years. “Madison politics may smell like the barn, but as a farm kid, I know how to clean up the bull,” he concluded, using a farming metaphor to connect with the state’s large dairy industry.
Wisconsin is a battleground state in U.S. presidential elections and, thus, receives a high degree of political attention during statewide races. In the last six presidential elections, the state has always voted for the eventual winner (i.e., Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Joe Biden in 2020, and Trump, again, in 2024) and played a key role in their Electoral College victories.
Tiffany’s primary opponent, so far, is Josh Schoemann, the executive of Washington County, in the southeastern part of the state. In the Democratic primary, several high-profile candidates are running, such as Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, and two state representatives.
By Arjun Singh
