Trump loyalist Tom Tiffany enters Wisconsin open governor's race

MADISON, Wis. — U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Trump loyalist who has represented Wisconsin’s vast rural north in Congress, announced Tuesday that he is entering the race for governor, creating a new dynamic in the state’s GOP primary. The contest is open for the first time in 16 years after Democratic Gov. Tony Evers decided not to seek a third term.

Tiffany quickly positioned himself as a leading candidate in a field that features two other announced Republicans who have less name recognition and smaller donor networks. With no clear frontrunner among Democrats and Evers not endorsing anyone, the primary has become a test of loyalty to Trump and fundraising reach ahead of the August election.

Tiffany, who represents the sprawling 7th Congressional District, has signaled he would build a campaign that relies on large-scale fundraising. He has said he could raise up to $40 million himself to attract additional outside spending and establish a robust operation from Day One.

In the Republican field, businessman Bill Berrien has drawn conservative talk radio criticism after backing Nikki Haley in the 2024 presidential contest and saying in 2020 that he had not decided whether to support Donald Trump. The third Republican in the race, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann, has sought to court Trump voters as well and represents a suburban Milwaukee county that backed Trump with about 67% of the vote in 2024.

Tiffany, in a radio interview to announce his candidacy, said he would bring private-sector know-how and public-sector experience to the governor’s office and argued the state needs a campaign that makes next year’s race one of the most competitive in the country. He also pledged to raise as much as $40 million to attract outside spending and argued that the contest should be about ideas and results.

Even if he secures a possible Trump endorsement, Tiffany faces structural hurdles. In midterm elections, candidates from the same party as the sitting president have tended to fare poorly in Wisconsin, with the notable exception of Gov. Tony Evers in 2022.

Tiffany has built a solid statewide profile despite representing a 7th District that spans roughly 19,000 square miles and includes all or parts of 20 counties. He won a 2020 special election by a comfortable margin after Sean Duffy resigned and has since won reelection by large margins, underscoring the geographic divide between rural northern Wisconsin and the state’s two population centers, Milwaukee and Madison.

In Wisconsin politics, Tiffany’s record as a state lawmaker and then a congressman has been shaped by his alignment with former Gov. Scott Walker, including backing measures that diminished collective bargaining for most public workers and championed gun rights. He also supported easing environmental restrictions to unlock mining in the north and has supported proposals to remove gray wolves from the federal endangered species list, a move that drew criticism from animal welfare advocates.

On federal votes, Tiffany was among a minority of Republicans who opposed certifying some of the results from the 2020 presidential election and has backed a broad slate of conservative positions, including tariffs that critics say raise prices for consumers. Wisconsin Democrats have sought to portray him as a tariff-focused legislator who would pursue conservative social policies if elected.

Tiffany has reiterated his stance on abortion as aligning with Wisconsin’s current partial-birth ban framework, and he has continued to express support for tariffs in trade policy. In his governor’s bid, he has committed to a platform that includes freezing property taxes, lowering income taxes, improving schools, expanding job creation, overhauling the state Department of Natural Resources, and protecting farmland from foreign ownership.

Born on a dairy farm, Tiffany spent two decades running a tourist boat business before turning to politics. He has leaned into his rural Wisconsin roots in earlier campaigns, including ads featuring his aging mother and others that highlighted his agricultural background and ties to the state’s rural economy.

The field of Democratic contenders for governor includes Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, state Sen. Kelda Roys and state Rep. Francesca Hong. Other potential entrants include Attorney General Josh Kaul, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and former state economic development director Missy Hughes.

This article is part of a broader coverage of US politics, including Wisconsin's competitive governor’s race and the national context for the 2026 midterms.