Governor of Wisconsin · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in the Wisconsin governor's race?
David Crowley has the strongest record in the Wisconsin governor's race. David Crowley scores 61 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Tom Tiffany at 58, as of October 6, 2026. David Crowley's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Tom Tiffany's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic
Strongest record
David Crowley
Running mate: Sarah Godlewski
61 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 70
- Performance
- NR
Republican
Tom Tiffany
Running mate: David Varnam
58 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 44
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 44
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
David Crowley
- On the record2026-02-05
Milwaukee County's employee health benefits contract lapsed under his administration; he said no one lost coverage, the benefits director left the county, and the County Board approved a new contract 13 to 5.
Source: WPR, Feb. 5, 2026
- On the record2019-03-19
PolitiFact Wisconsin rated False his 2019 claim about the share of Milwaukee County Black men imprisoned for low-level offenses; his aide said he misspoke.
Tom Tiffany
- On the record2026-09-09
The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association canceled its Oct. 9 governor debate, its first missed cycle since 1990; Tiffany accepted only the Oct. 21 WISN debate and said one debate is sufficient.
Sources: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Yahoo), Sept. 9, 2026, WBAY, Sept. 9, 2026
- On the record2021-01-06
Voted Yea on the House objections to certifying Arizona's and Pennsylvania's electoral votes on Jan. 6 to 7, 2021.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
- On the record2020-12-10
Signed the House members' amicus brief supporting Texas v. Pennsylvania, the suit asking the Supreme Court to block four states' certified results.
Source: Texas v. Pennsylvania amicus brief of 126 Representatives
- Credit2026
Chairs the House Natural Resources Committee's Federal Lands Subcommittee.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
David Crowley. State campaign finance reports are on file through Sept. 23, 2026. No Ethics Commission, court or campaign finance finding found; a July 2026 complaint to the Ethics Commission is unresolved and does not move the score.
Source: WPR, Oct. 1, 2026
Tom Tiffany. Annual House financial disclosures are on file through calendar 2025, and state campaign finance reports are on file through Sept. 23, 2026. No ethics, court or campaign finance finding found. No periodic stock transaction reports on file.
Sources: House Clerk annual financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076532, WPR, Oct. 1, 2026
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
David Crowley. No public record found.
Tom Tiffany. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
David Crowley. Accepted the Oct. 21, 2026 WISN debate and had planned to take part in the canceled Wisconsin Broadcasters Association debate.
Source: WBAY, Sept. 9, 2026
Tom Tiffany. Accepted one televised general election debate, set for Oct. 21, 2026. The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association canceled its Oct. 9 debate; the Journal Sentinel reported he said one debate is sufficient.
Sources: WBAY, Sept. 9, 2026, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Yahoo), Sept. 9, 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
David Crowley. Has held state legislative and county executive office since 2017 with no censure, reprimand or formal conduct finding found.
Tom Tiffany. Has held local, state legislative and congressional office since 2009 with no censure, reprimand or formal conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Tom Tiffany
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
David Crowley. Took and kept the oaths of state representative and Milwaukee County executive with no finding of misuse of office and no recorded action to reject certified results.
Tom Tiffany. Voted Yea on both January 2021 objections to the certified electoral votes of Arizona and Pennsylvania, and signed the December 2020 House amicus brief supporting Texas v. Pennsylvania.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021, Texas v. Pennsylvania amicus brief of 126 Representatives
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
David Crowley. Milwaukee County executive since May 2020 and a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly before that, elected twice.
Tom Tiffany. Member of Congress since May 2020, state senator from 2013 to 2020, state representative from 2011 to 2013 and Little Rice town supervisor from 2009 to 2013.
Source: Ballotpedia, Tom Tiffany
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
David Crowley. Has published specific proposals that fit the governor's powers, including stock-trading and prediction-market limits for state officials to be included in his first budget.
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Yahoo), Sept. 14, 2026
Tom Tiffany. Chairs the House Natural Resources Federal Lands Subcommittee and has published specific governor proposals, including more state auditors and public spending portals.
Sources: House Clerk, Federal Lands Subcommittee roster, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via AOL), Sept. 18, 2026
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
David Crowley. Publishes a campaign plan, gives televised interviews and accepted a debate. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
Sources: Campaign site, WBAY, Sept. 9, 2026, Ballotpedia, David Crowley (Wisconsin)
Tom Tiffany. Offers a weekly congressional newsletter, gives televised interviews and accepted a debate. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
Sources: House office site, WBAY, Oct. 1, 2026, WBAY, Sept. 9, 2026, Ballotpedia, Tom Tiffany
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
David Crowley. From Milwaukee, attended Bay View High School and has held Milwaukee offices since 2017. No in-state donor share is available from state filings.
Sources: Ballotpedia, David Crowley (Wisconsin), WPR, Oct. 1, 2026
Tom Tiffany. Lives in the Minocqua area, served as Little Rice town supervisor and on the Oneida County Economic Development board, and graduated from UW-River Falls. No in-state donor share is available from state filings.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Tom Tiffany, WPR, Oct. 1, 2026
Management
Can build and run an organization.
David Crowley. State campaign finance reports are on file through Sept. 23, 2026, and he has run Milwaukee County's executive branch since 2020. No Ethics Commission finding found.
Sources: WPR, Oct. 1, 2026, Ballotpedia, David Crowley (Wisconsin)
Tom Tiffany. State campaign finance reports are on file through Sept. 23, 2026. No Ethics Commission finding found.
Source: WPR, Oct. 1, 2026
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
David Crowley. No public record found.
Tom Tiffany. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 1.55 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 1.46, meets expectations. One sponsored bill became law, a post office naming.
Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
David Crowley. No public record found.
Tom Tiffany. Missed 151 of 3,059 roll call votes, 4.9 percent, from May 2020 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
David Crowley. No public record found.
Tom Tiffany. Runs a Wausau district office and offers help with federal agencies.
Source: House office site
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
David Crowley. No public record found.
Tom Tiffany. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -1.23227 for the 118th Congress (2023), ranked 379 of 436, in the bottom quarter.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
David Crowley. No public record found.
Tom Tiffany. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026; scorecard updated October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in the Wisconsin governor's race?
David Crowley has the strongest record in the Wisconsin governor's race. David Crowley scores 61 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Tom Tiffany at 58, as of October 6, 2026. David Crowley's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Tom Tiffany's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in the Wisconsin governor's race in 2026?
David Crowley (Democratic), Tom Tiffany (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is David Crowley a good candidate for Governor?
David Crowley scores 61 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 70 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Tom Tiffany a good candidate for Governor?
Tom Tiffany scores 58 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 44 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 44 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Wisconsin race scored, and the Wisconsin 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.