Republican Tom Tiffany has declined to sign a nonpartisan pro-democracy pledge for his Wisconsin gubernatorial campaign, prompting a coalition of business leaders to formally endorse his Democratic opponent, David Crowley.
The Business Coalition Pledge and the Crowley Endorsement
The Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy, a bipartisan group of business owners and managers promoting free and fair elections, sent identical letters to both gubernatorial candidates on August 27, asking them to pledge to respect certified election results, reject political violence and intimidation, protect voting rights and preserve nonpartisan election administration. The pledge asked candidates to commit to cooperating with election officials, adhering to established rules, refraining from knowingly propagating electoral falsehoods, encouraging a peaceful voting atmosphere, and denouncing political intimidation or violence.
While Crowley signed the agreement, Tiffany did not return it. Consequently, the organization threw its support behind the Democratic candidate. John Florsheim, president of Weyco Group, Inc., stated that voters deserve to know where candidates stand when democratic institutions face threats.
To amplify the message, the Leadership Now PAC launched a $75,000 digital advertising campaign targeting moderate voters and business leaders across Meta and YouTube through Election Day. Anoop Prakash, a Milwaukee-based automotive executive, emphasized that investment and job growth require confidence in the rule of law.
Past Actions on the 2020 Election and Campaign Debates
Tiffany’s inaction follows sustained scrutiny over his efforts to block the certification of the 2020 presidential election. During a debate with Crowley, Tiffany defended his past congressional record by citing “Zuckerbucks,” referencing $10 million in grants provided by the Center for Tech and Civic Life to help municipalities administer elections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conspiracy theorists have wrongly alleged that these philanthropic donations were used to steal the election.
Tiffany was the sole member of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation to place his name in support of an amicus brief supporting a last-ditch Supreme Court lawsuit filed by Republican-dominated states to stall the counting of Electoral College votes. That stance runs directly counter to the pledge’s requirement to refrain from propagating falsehoods about the electoral process and to accept certified outcomes.
Polling Place Security and the Broader Electoral Climate
The political clash unfolds against a tense backdrop of heightened state and federal scrutiny regarding polling place security. Local clerks across Wisconsin are receiving specialized training on how to handle potential federal law enforcement activity at voting locations.
On October 1, the Wisconsin Department of Justice issued a public warning against voter intimidation, highlighting that federal law generally restricts deploying armed federal personnel to active polling places. These precautions follow Department of Homeland Security investigations into voting procedures across multiple states.
Wisconsin administers its elections locally through established safeguards, including paper ballots, publicly tested equipment, and bipartisan oversight.
