Wisconsin governor race, Republicans endorse Tiffany at convention
Wisconsin Republicans endorse Tiffany
In the race for governor, the Republican Party of Wisconsin officially endorsed Tom Tiffany at its state convention on Saturday, May 16.
WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. - Wisconsin voters this fall will decide whether Democrats or Republicans run the state. And in Wisconsin Dells on Saturday, the GOP officially made its endorsement in the race for governor.
Tom Tiffany
What they're saying:
U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany already has the backing of President Donald Trump. Now, he has the official backing of Wisconsin Republicans – and was the only Republican candidate for governor who qualified for the state party's endorsement.
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"Let’s leave the sinking ship of Gov. Evers behind," said Tiffany.
It's a big change from the last governor's race in 2022. The Wisconsin GOP convention did not endorse a candidate that year; none of the five candidates at the 2022 convention reached the necessary 60%. This year was a different story.
"Are we going to ban sanctuary cities and stop the revolving door of career criminals?" Tiffany asked the convention.
"You betcha," they responded.
"Are we going to restore common sense, raise education standards and protect girls' sports?" Tiffany asked.
"You betcha," the crowd responded.
U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany speaks at Wisconsin Republican Convention
What it means:
With the official endorsement, Tiffany unlocks collaboration – and funding – from the Wisconsin GOP.
In Wisconsin, donors can give unlimited donations to a state party, and the party can then transfer the money to the candidate, bypassing normal individual donation caps. It is a practice both parties have used. Candidates also pay less for advertisements.
That’s a help in a midterm election, which typically isn’t the best for the party in the White House. It could give Tiffany a leg up as Democrats don't have an endorsed candidate, yet. More than seven Democrats are battling one another in their party’s primary, which is in August. That is 87 days away.
"We are one election away from losing the Wisconsin we all know and love," Tiffany told the convention crowd.
Brian Schimming
Dig deeper:
Republicans have had internal fights, too. There has been a revolt brewing against Brian Schimming, who chairs the Wisconsin GOP. Some people have been upset with big losses for conservatives in recent Wisconsin Supreme Court races, which are officially nonpartisan.
Schimming is staying put for now. It's not the convention that can fire or hire Schimming, but the state party's executive committee. A key message of the convention was party unity.
Republican Party of Wisconsin Chairman Brian Schimming
When do Democrats convene?
The other side:
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin will host its convention four weeks from now in Madison.
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In a statement, a WisDems spokesperson said of the endorsement for Tiffany:
"The Republican Party of Wisconsin endorsed a candidate who is ready and willing to squeeze every last dollar he can out of working Wisconsinites."
Race for governor
What's next:
To actually win a spot on the ballot, primary voters have the final say come August. The winners of the Democratic and Republican primaries will face off in November.
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The Source: FOX6 News went to the Wisconsin Republican Convention on Saturday and referenced prior coverage related to state elections and this year's race for governor.