Crowley County, Colorado

With roughly a month until Wisconsin's election, Democratic candidate David Crowley is drawing criticism, including from some supporters, for spending limited time campaigning directly within the state. Crowley recently traveled to California for a fundraiser headlined by Kamala Harris and actor Sean Penn, and made two trips to Washington, D.C. this month seeking financial support from national Democrats. Republican opponent Tom Tiffany has significantly outraised and outspent Crowley, according to fundraising reports.

Crowley re-entered the race over the summer after initially dropping out, with Democrats citing concerns that a different candidate could lose to Tiffany in November. Critics note that Crowley has held comparatively few in-state campaign events, including rallies or town halls in Madison, while Tiffany has been touring Wisconsin broadly, holding events in cities including Milwaukee. The dynamic has drawn comparisons to Harris's 2024 presidential campaign, when questions were raised about limited outreach in some traditionally Democratic areas before her loss. The race is viewed as a competitive contest that could factor into broader midterm turnout and party strategy debates.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Crowley launched a statewide tour blaming Republican rival Tom Tiffany for record-high diesel prices in Wisconsin, visiting a Kewaunee County farm with U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin. Farmer Clark Riemer described 2025 as his worst farming year in 35 years, citing soaring fuel and fertilizer costs tied to geopolitical instability, including U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran that disrupted fertilizer pricing.

Crowley criticized Tiffany's House votes against resolutions to end the Iran conflict, arguing the ongoing war has driven up fuel costs and hurt farmers. Tiffany countered by attacking Crowley's record on taxes and budget shortfalls as Milwaukee County executive, framing his own platform around tax cuts to ease affordability pressures.

Wisconsin diesel prices reached $6.56 per gallon, worsened by refinery outages in Illinois and Indiana and Russian export bans following Ukrainian attacks on refineries. Both candidates support repealing the state's minimum markup law on gasoline, though industry representatives dispute claims that repeal would meaningfully lower prices, noting crude oil costs are the primary driver of pump prices.

In Sauk County, Wisconsin, voters at a Sauk City farmers market described rising property taxes and the cost of living as the issues most shaping their votes. Longtime residents pointed to sharp increases in their tax bills over decades, saying fixed incomes make further hikes hard to absorb. An August Marquette Law School Poll found inflation and cost of living topped voters' concerns, with property taxes also ranking high; a Wisconsin Policy Forum report found the state's total tax levy posted its largest increase in nearly 20 years.

Data centers and artificial intelligence emerged as another flashpoint. The same Marquette poll found 78% of voters said the costs of data centers outweigh their benefits, and 67% said they would support a moratorium on new data centers for at least a year. Many voters interviewed identified as independents, saying they prioritize candidates who follow through on promises over party affiliation, and want commitments to protecting water, air and farmland.

Wisconsin's 2026 governor's race has become a flashpoint over immigration enforcement, with Democratic Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley facing criticism from Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany over his record opposing cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Crowley has said he would direct state agencies not to work with ICE if elected, opposes honoring ICE detainers, and would bar law enforcement from asking about immigration status. He has also backed driver's licenses and in-state college tuition for undocumented immigrants and co-authored legislation to codify anti-ICE policies statewide.

The dispute follows several high-profile criminal cases in Wisconsin involving undocumented immigrants, which critics cite as evidence of lax enforcement under Gov. Tony Evers. Tiffany has vowed to ensure state and local law enforcement cooperate with federal authorities on criminal deportations. The race underscores immigration as a central issue in the contest to succeed Evers, with implications for state sanctuary policies and federal-state enforcement relations.

Hanahan, South Carolina's City Council meeting on September 8 turned contentious as members traded accusations over the city's ongoing legal battle with developer Ray Wrenn and a proposed committee to probe the city's real estate dealings. Mayor Christie Rainwater told council that a judge had dismissed Wrenn's appeal of a zoning board denial and ruled in the city's favor on his due process claims, finding the city's 2008 review standards applied to his Bowen's Corner subdivision. The dispute dates to 2024, when the city denied Wrenn's building permits after he failed to submit engineering plans showing fire trucks could access the development's alleyway. Claims that the city violated open records law remain pending.

Rainwater said the litigation could have been avoided had council approved a 2024 amendment to Wrenn's development agreement, a measure that failed 3-3. She suggested council members who voted no did so to avoid upsetting Wrenn, prompting a heated exchange with Councilman Tim Crowley and Councilwoman Amanda Colvin-Shea, who walked out before the meeting ended. A separate real estate investigative committee proposal also failed after several members recused themselves.