Republican Wisconsin Rep. Tom Tiffany and allied groups are raking in campaign cash to propel his bid of becoming his state’s next governor.
Tiffany has raised $2 million since entering the critical swing state’s gubernatorial contest in September, his campaign exclusively told the Daily Caller News Foundation. The Wisconsin College Republicans, a pro-Tiffany group pledging to help elect him in November, has also raised $1 million this cycle.
Tiffany, 68, who represents a vast swath of northwestern Wisconsin, is viewed as the clear frontrunner in the state’s Aug. 11 Republican primary.
Tiffany’s campaign did not disclose a cash on hand number ahead of the state’s Jan. 15 filing deadline. Donations came from all 72 counties in the state, according to a campaign official.
The candidate is touting his fundraising numbers as mostly grassroots and said his campaign is focused on improving education and affordability in the Badger State.
“While Democrats rely on Hollywood donors and coastal elites, we are building a movement powered by the People of Wisconsin that is focused on better schools, lower taxes and restoring affordability after seven years of failure under Governor [Tony] Evers and Wisconsin Democrats,” Tiffany said in a statement. “[I] look forward to sharing a vision that reverses declining education outcomes, lowers electricity rates and property taxes and ensures Wisconsinites from young families to seniors on fixed incomes can afford to call Wisconsin home.”
Tiffany holds a commanding lead over Republican candidate Josh Schoemann, Washington County’s executive, ahead of the August 2026 primary, according to a Marquette University poll released in late October. The survey found 23% of GOP primary voters support Tiffany, followed by Schoemann at 6%, though roughly 70% of respondents were undecided.
President Donald Trump has yet to publicly back a candidate in the race. An August survey from Republican firm Fabrizio, Lee & Associates, first reported by the DCNF, found that a Trump endorsement would widen Tiffany’s lead over the rest of the primary field.
Trump narrowly defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris in the Badger State by roughly 30,000 votes in 2024. Wisconsin was the closest state of the presidential contest by percentage margin.
Tiffany boasts support from major Wisconsin law enforcement groups, including the Milwaukee Police Association and the Kenosha Professional Police Association Board of Directors. Every Wisconsin GOP member of Congress is backing his campaign.
He is also courting young conservatives in his bid to succeed Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, who announced in July he would not seek a third term. Tiffany was the first candidate Wisconsin College Republicans endorsed in the 2026 cycle. Tiffany also spoke at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in December.
“After the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk, a fire was lit inside every one of us. It reminded us that the future of Wisconsin is in our hands, and we refuse to sit on the sidelines,” Wisconsin College Republicans Chair Nicholas Jacobs said in a statement. “We are prepared to work night and day to take Wisconsin back to the top.”
Former Democratic Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes launched a bid for the open seat in December. Barnes narrowly failed to unseat Republican Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson in 2022 during which he faced scrutiny for previously supporting defunding the police, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and ending cash bail.
Democratic Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley are also vying for the Democratic nomination among other lesser-known candidates.
Tiffany first won election to the House in 2020 and is a member of the conservative Republican Study Committee.
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