HARTLAND – Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany told the crowd at his Aug. 11 election night party that this year’s governor’s race is bigger than any candidate or party.
“This isn’t a typical election about red versus blue,” Tiffany said. “This is an election about the very soul of the state of Wisconsin.”
It was no surprise that Tiffany cruised to victory in the Republican primary, winning about 95% of the vote. He was endorsed by President Donald Trump and essentially cleared the field of any major GOP rivals.
Tiffany was declared the winner not long after the polls closed, and took the stage at Rustic Manor, a wedding barn in Hartland, more than an hour later to chants of “Tom! Tom! Tom!” as supporters held red and white signs that read, “You Betcha!”
During his speech, Tiffany stressed what he called “common sense” policies as well as his Wisconsin roots.
“As a kid who grew up on a small dairy farm in Elmwood, I cannot tell you truly how humbling this is,” Tiffany said. “This state gave me every chance to achieve the American dream.”
He said that the election is about protecting “the state we know and love,” and warned that Wisconsin is heading in the wrong direction. And Tiffany argued that the election is also about lowering property taxes, getting utility costs under control, and letting “hardworking Wisconsinites keep more of what they earn.”
After his speech, Tiffany said it didn’t matter whether his opponent was state Rep. Francesca Hong or Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.
“There’s not a dimes worth of difference between them,” he said.
But at Tiffany’s party, it was clear some of his supporters were rooting for a Hong victory in the primary.
Paul Kurtz, a 50-year-old man from Janesville, said he believes Tiffany is the best candidate because “he’s steady, he’s a Wisconsinite through and through,” adding that he likes his policies.
Kurtz said he almost voted for Hong on Tuesday under the idea she would be an easier opponent, but saw she was leading by a wide margin in the polls and decided against it. He slammed Hong, who identifies as a democratic socialist, calling her the most “unqualified” candidate he can remember.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Kurtz said.
He added, “This isn’t New York City,” a reference to the city’s election of democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Kurtz predicted that Tiffany could beat Hong by double digits in November.
Scott Lawrence, a 58-year-old man from Slinger, said Hong is already “backpedaling” on some of her positions, noting her tweets calling for an end to Thanksgiving.
“I think she needs to be exposed for what she is,” he said.
Hong has criticized Tiffany repeatedly throughout the election, and in one ad called him an “anti-abortion, election denier, Epstein pedophile protector.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tom Tiffany calls election about ‘soul’ of Wisconsin
Reporting by Mary Spicuzza, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mary Spicuzza, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
