David Crowley (D), Tom Tiffany (R), and Jamie Jo Carothers (Independent) (Write-in) are running in the general election for governor of Wisconsin on November 3, 2026.
Incumbent Tony Evers (D) is not running for re-election. Evers endorsed Crowley on July 18, 2026. In 2022, Evers was re-elected 51.1%–47.8% and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) was re-elected 49.3%–48.5%. President Donald Trump (R) defeated Kamala Harris (D) 49.6%–48.7% in the 2024 presidential election in Wisconsin. As of August 2026, major election forecasters rated the general election Toss-up or Lean Democratic.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Craig Gilbert wrote, "Polling suggests Democratic voters are more energized than Republicans, which could portend a Democratic turnout advantage. Republicans in the Trump era have had little margin for error in Wisconsin. ... At the same time, Democrats are trying to do something they have never done in the state’s 178-year history – hold the governor’s office for more than eight consecutive years, as well as win a rare trifecta by also recapturing the two chambers of the state Legislature."
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Molly Beck wrote, "The two major candidates running to be Wisconsin's next governor are battling to gain the upper hand on an emerging issue that neither political party owns yet: data centers. ... Democrat David Crowley and Republican Tom Tiffany are each seeking to portray the other as friendlier to big tech." Wisconsin Public Radio's Joe Schulz wrote, "While Republicans have traditionally had a pro-business reputation, Tiffany has called for ending state subsidies for data centers and creating additional protections for ratepayers and the state’s farmland and water." The Wisconsin Examiner's Baylor Spears wrote, "The Crowley campaign has responded to Tiffany’s attacks by sharing videos of Crowley explaining his positions on data centers, including highlighting his support for allowing local communities to decide whether they want a data center."
Crowley was elected Milwaukee County Executive in 2020. He represented the 17th District in the Wisconsin Assembly from 2017 to 2020 and earlier worked as an organizer and political staffer. In a press release, Crowley said his "campaign has been about what comes next for Wisconsin: making life more affordable, strengthening our schools, creating good-paying jobs, and making sure opportunity reaches every corner of our state. ... We can move Wisconsin forward with leadership focused on solving problems, or we can bring the division and extremism of Tom Tiffany and Donald Trump to Wisconsin." Crowley's running mate is Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski (D).
Tiffany was first elected to represent the 7th District in the U.S. House in 2020. He served in the Wisconsin Senate from 2013 to 2020, the Wisconsin Assembly from 2011 to 2013, and the Little Rice Board of Supervisors from 2009 to 2013. He is the former owner and operator of Wilderness Cruises. Tiffany's campaign website says he is "running for governor to make sure every Wisconsin family has the same shot at the American Dream he was given. He has stood up to unelected bureaucrats and coastal elites in Washington, D.C. As governor, he will fight every day for families, for farmers, and for the hardworking people who make this state great." Tiffany's running mate is Lancaster Mayor David Varnam (R).
The election will influence Wisconsin's trifecta and triplex status. Democrats have a triplex in Wisconsin because the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state are all Democrats. Neither party has a trifecta because Republicans have a majority in the Wisconsin Senate and Wisconsin Assembly, while Democrats have the governorship.
If Crowley wins, Republicans will not have a trifecta or a triplex regardless of the results in other Wisconsin elections. If Tiffany wins, Democrats will not have a trifecta or a triplex.
Wisconsin holds separate gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial primaries, but the nominees run together on a single ticket in the general election.