Eight days before Wisconsin voters decide who will lead their state, Kamala Harris stood in Milwaukee and spoke to a public weary of anger and fear, lending her presence to Democrat David Crowley's bid for governor. Across the aisle, Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany read the visit as a confession of weakness, a sign that a party's own supporters are not yet stirred. Such contests often turn less on grand promises than on whether the faithful show up, and here both camps have chosen to argue over taxes and the everyday cost of living. The outcome will reveal whether enthusiasm, once doubted, can sti
Tiffany Says Harris Visit Exposes Crowley Campaign Weakness; Crowley Camp Blames Tiffany, Trump
Eight days out, a Harris rally becomes a argument about the base
Mark
Why does a Harris visit become a story about weakness at all?
Mimi
Because Tiffany chose that reading. He says bringing her in shows Democrats are struggling to get their base out, and that Crowley hasn't excited it.
Luke
That's his claim, and he's the opponent. The piece offers no turnout data or polling to support it.
Mark
What's the background on Crowley's nomination?
Mimi
He narrowly beat state Rep. Francesca Hong in the primary. Critics say party leaders, including Gov. Tony Evers, handpicked him as a centrist alternative.
Luke
Note the wording: critics and opponents have accused. That's attributed, not established. The narrow primary margin is the firmer fact.
Mark
And the tax dispute?
Mimi
Tiffany says Crowley raised taxes every year as county executive. The campaign says he lowered the property tax rate every year and balanced the budget.
Luke
Those can't both be right as stated, and the article doesn't settle it. Maybe they measure different things, but that's not explained.
Mark
So what do we actually know?
Mimi
Harris appeared in Milwaukee eight days out, and both campaigns are making cost of living the center of the race.
Der Puls
- Kamala Harris rallied Milwaukee supporters just eight days before Wisconsin's gubernatorial election, and the stakes feel immediate.
- Tiffany calls the visit a sign of weakness, insisting David Crowley has failed to excite the Democratic base.
- Crowley's narrow primary win over progressive Francesca Hong keeps the party's internal wounds visibly open.
- Crowley's campaign counters with a statewide push on lowering costs and accuses Tiffany of sheltering billionaires with tax breaks.
- Both sides are fighting over taxes and affordability, and the base-turnout question will decide whether this narrative holds.
Eight days before Wisconsin voters decide who will lead their state, Kamala Harris stood in Milwaukee and spoke to a public weary of anger and fear, lending her presence to Democrat David Crowley's bid for governor. Across the aisle, Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany read the visit as a confession of weakness, a sign that a party's own supporters are not yet stirred. Such contests often turn less on grand promises than on whether the faithful show up, and here both camps have chosen to argue over taxes and the everyday cost of living. The outcome will reveal whether enthusiasm, once doubted, can still be rekindled in a state accustomed to close calls.
On Monday, eight days before Election Day, Kamala Harris stood before supporters at Milwaukee's Pfister Hotel and spoke of the anger, sadness and disappointment that had left many people feeling powerless. She said she knew how much pain people were carrying, and how much fear it was creating in their communities.
She had come to campaign for David Crowley, the Democratic nominee for governor and current Milwaukee County executive. His Republican opponent, Rep. Tom Tiffany, saw the visit differently. Telling Fox News Digital that bringing Harris in showed weakness, he said Crowley had not excited the base and that Democrats were struggling amid national fatigue.
Tiffany linked that weakness to how Crowley won the nomination. Critics have accused Democratic leaders, including Gov. Tony Evers, of handpicking Crowley as a centrist over progressive state Rep. Francesca Hong, whom he narrowly beat in the primary. Tiffany argued that many voters felt cheated of a fair contest inside their own party.
He aimed his policy attacks at Crowley's record in Milwaukee County, claiming Crowley would raise taxes as Tiffany said he had done each year as county executive.
Crowley's campaign rejected this, pointing to his plan to lower costs for working families and his record of balancing budgets and cutting the property tax rate. It turned the charge back on Tiffany, accusing him of giving massive tax breaks to billionaires who fund his campaign.
The two sides disagree about what happened to property taxes and who is responsible for rising costs. Both agree that affordability sits at the heart of the race, and the question now is whether Tiffany's claim about a restless Democratic base will hold when Wisconsin votes.
On Monday, eight days before Election Day, Kamala Harris stood in front of supporters at Milwaukee's Pfister Hotel and spoke about the past year and a half. She named anger, sadness, disappointment, destruction and depression, and said many people had felt powerless, unable to do anything about it. She said she knew how much pain people were in and how much fear it was creating in many communities.
The former vice president had come to the battleground state to campaign alongside David Crowley, the Democratic nominee for governor and the current Milwaukee County executive. His Republican opponent, Rep. Tom Tiffany, read the visit very differently from the way the rally's organizers would have framed it.
Tiffany told Fox News Digital that bringing Harris in was a sign of weakness. In his telling, it was a move that showed Democrats are struggling to get their base to vote. "David Crowley has not excited the base," he said. He also argued the campaign is trying to lift enthusiasm amid a broader national fatigue, which he attributed to polarization and endless campaign messaging.
Tiffany tied that to how Crowley won the nomination. Critics and political opponents have accused Democratic leaders, including Gov. Tony Evers, of handpicking Crowley as a centrist alternative to more progressive candidates such as state Rep. Francesca Hong. Crowley narrowly defeated Hong in the primary. Tiffany said Democrats once again pulled somebody off the bench rather than letting democracy work inside their own party, and that many people are frustrated by it. The criticism echoes one Harris faced during her own presidential bid.
On policy, Tiffany presents himself as a commonsense candidate and aims his attacks at Crowley's record in Milwaukee County. He said it is not in Crowley's DNA to reduce costs or taxes for Wisconsin residents, and that Crowley would raise taxes, as Tiffany said he did every year as county executive.
Crowley's campaign rejected that account in a statement from a spokesperson. It said Crowley is criss-crossing the state to lay out a plan to lower costs for working families who are struggling to pay bills, and it blamed Tiffany and what it called Donald Trump's unaffordable MAGA agenda. The spokesperson said Crowley has spent his career lowering costs, including balancing the budget and lowering the property tax rate every year as county executive.
The statement then turned the attack around. It said Tiffany went to Washington and sold out working Wisconsinites to give massive tax breaks to the same billionaires who fund his campaign.
The two sides disagree on whether property taxes rose or fell under Crowley, and on who bears responsibility for the cost of living. They agree that taxes and affordability are the center of the race. What remains to be seen is whether Tiffany's argument about an unenthusiastic Democratic base holds up when Wisconsin votes in eight days.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
David Crowley has not excited the base.— Rep. Tom Tiffany, to Fox News Digital
Crowley is criss-crossing the state to discuss his plan to lower costs for working families.— Crowley campaign spokesperson
Möchten Sie die ganze Geschichte?
Das Original lesen bei Fox News ↗
Politics & Governance