GOP Rep. Tiffany to announce if he's running for governor in '30 to 60 days'

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The timeline for when GOP Congressman Tom Tiffany will announce whether he's running for governor has slid back by about a month.

Tiffany, who has hinted at eyeing the governor's office in recent months, said Monday at the Wisconsin State Fair he will make his decision by the end of September. Back in May, Tiffany had said he expected to make a decision by the current August recess.

"We're gonna make a decision here in the next 30 to 60 days," Tiffany said when asked about his plans. "We're not gonna wait until after September. By the end of September, I'll make a decision whether to run for governor or not."

Tiffany has represented the northwestern and north central parts of Wisconsin in the U.S. House since a special election in 2020. He said the tipping point in deciding whether he'll run for governor is whether he ultimately wants to leave Congress.

So far, two Republicans have launched campaigns to replace Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who announced last month he won't seek a third term. 

Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann kicked off his campaign in May while Bill Berrien, owner of a New Berlin manufacturing plant, got into the race last month.

Milwaukee County GOP Chairman Hilario Deleon said Monday he hopes the Republican field does not get much more crowded.

"I think it'd be better if the primary field was a lot smaller and, of course, not bloody," Deleon said. "What happened in 2022 was a very nasty primary, and we had a lot of candidates running at many different positions."

Deleon referred to the 2022 Republican primary between Tim Michels and Rebecca Kleefisch, which featured the GOP candidates running attack ads against each other.

The county party is conducting its own straw poll at the state fair with eight candidates. In addition to Schoemann and Berrien, Tiffany is one of the other options.

Through the first four days of the fair, Eric Hovde, who lost his race for U.S. Senate last fall, was the frontrunner with 109 votes. Hovde was closely followed by former candidate for lieutenant governor, Will Martin.

Following Martin's 108 votes was Schoemann with 94 votes, then Tiffany with 64. It was a big drop-off from there, as Berrien was in fifth with 16 votes. State senators Julian Bradley and Mary Felzkowski, along with former State Rep. Tim Ramthun, all had 10 or fewer votes.

Deleon said he hopes party leaders will work to determine a candidate ahead of the state party's 2026 convention and avoid a drawn-out campaign before the Aug. 11 primary election.

"I think, when it comes to convention time, I think it is important that the party step in and say, 'We need to sit these candidates down, and they need to figure this out at the convention before we even get to a primary,'" Deleon said.

On the Democratic side, there are also two declared candidates. Lieutenant Gov. Sara Rodriguez launched her campaign one day after Evers' announcement, and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said he intends to formally enter the race in the coming weeks.

Other Democrats, including State Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison), have said they're seriously contemplating a run. The 2026 contest will be Wisconsin's first open race for governor since 2010.

Tiffany takes on Canada over wildfire smoke

Tiffany has been frequently critical of Canada as wildfire smoke leaves a haze over Wisconsin, worsening air quality in recent days.

At the state fair Monday, Tiffany said Canadian officials, as well as their colleagues in the western U.S., should adopt better forest management strategies, such as clearing more downed trees, and using technology to find and attack fires once they spark.

A Wisconsin DNR official told CBS 58 last week a big factor in recent extreme wildfires has been longer fire seasons caused by a lack of snowpack. 

While researchers blamed a diminishing snowpack in a study of Canadian wildfires in 2023, Tiffany said he disagreed with that assessment, citing his own experience in the Northwoods.

"I don't think that's the reason why you're seeing a longer fire season," Tiffany said. "I mean, I'll take you back just 10 years ago, we had a couple of the longest winters. We had ice where I live on the Willow Flowage, which was one of the latest ever."