(The Center Square) – Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany continues to say he’ll make a decision on running for governor later this summer, but he’s not wavering in his criticism of Gov. Tony Evers.
“I was elected by the people of the 7th Congressional District, they expect me to do my job for these two years,” Tiffany said in a radio interview Thursday. “And I intend to do that. But we need a new governor.”
Tiffany has said in the past that he may make an announcement by the end of the summer. He didn’t offer a time table during the radio interview.
Tiffany did have new criticism of Evers.
“When you look at somebody who encourages state employees to obstruct ICE,” he said referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “When you see a governor who cannot say ‘mother’ in his budget bill, who introduced a budget that is going to put us in deficit, where we’ll begin to look like Illinois and Minnesota. That’s a choice before the people of Wisconsin next year.”
There is only one declared candidate for governor in 2026.
Washington County Executive Josh Schoeman became the first Republican candidate when jumped into the race last month. Tiffany is on the short list for Republicans, as is businessman and veteran Bill Berrian.
Evers has not yet said if he intends to run for a third term.
The governor has said he will make that announcement after the state budget is complete.
If Evers does not run again, the Democratic short list includes Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, and Attorney General Josh Kaul.
Wisconsin voters have not reelected a governor to a third term since they reelected Tommy Thompson in 1994 and to a fourth term in 1998.