MADISON – Former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson is backing U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in this year’s race for governor − a coveted endorsement for Tiffany that ends months of speculation about whether Thompson would join the race himself.
Tiffany heads into the state GOP convention next week with endorsements from Thompson and President Donald Trump, two key supporters in a Wisconsin Republican campaign for governor. Trump’s endorsement prompted Tiffany’s only major competitor in the GOP field, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann, to drop out of the race.
Thompson, who was governor between 1987 and 2001, said in October he was “seriously considering” joining the 2026 Republican primary for governor and, as recently as April, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he saw “encouraging” polling on a potential run.
But Thompson, 84, ultimately decided against a run.
“I have spent my entire career fighting for my neighbors, my country, and my state. I love Wisconsin, and growing up in Elroy instilled in me the values that shaped my time as governor,” Thompson said in a statement shared by the Tiffany campaign. “Tom Tiffany comes from those same Wisconsin roots.”
Thompson said the state “has to keep reforming and moving forward” with Tiffany.
Thompson was elected governor four times and served as President George W. Bush’s health secretary. In more recent years, Thompson served as the president of the University of Wisconsin system of universities, leading campuses through the coronavirus pandemic. He stepped down in 2022.
Thompson also considered launching a new campaign for governor in 2022, a decision-making process that included paying a visit to Trump, when the president was in between terms.
Tiffany said in a statement Friday that Thompson’s “leadership has left an incredible legacy on Wisconsin, and generations of Wisconsinites are better off because of his service.”
Molly Beck can be reached at molly.beck@jrn.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tommy Thompson endorses Tiffany, ending speculation about his own run
Reporting by Molly Beck, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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