Clear Choice or Clear Conflict? Tiffany, Crowley, and Wisconsin’s Environmental Future

From Local cuts to climate plans, the gubernatorial split on clean air & water is apparent.

While data centers continue to expand exponentially across the country, a dangerous regulatory vacuum at both the state and federal levels leaves local communities entirely unprotected from the toxic footprint of Big Tech—specifically the integration of forever chemicals, or PFAS, within industrial cooling infrastructure. This imminent threat to public health and clean water has fundamentally shaped the stakes of the 2026 Wisconsin gubernatorial election. Through extensive research into the positions held by major candidates David Crowley and Tom Tiffany, a profound, definitive contrast has emerged regarding who will hold these massive facilities accountable based on thier records.

According to analysis from environmental advocacy organizations such as Wisconsin Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club, the 2026 Wisconsin gubernatorial nominees offer contrasting legislative and executive track records on environmental policy. Republican nominee Tom Tiffany’s legislative history in the state house and Congress is characterized by votes against federal PFAS regulations, authoring bills that restricted local government authority to regulate industrial mining operations, advocating to restructure the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and receiving a 0% rating on the League of Conservation Voters scorecard. In contrast, Democratic nominee David Crowley maintained a 100% environmental voting record as a state legislator and subsequently focused his executive tenure as Milwaukee County Executive on implementing a comprehensive Climate Action Plan, which helped reduce county operational greenhouse gas emissions by 48% from 2005 levels through 2024. Facing the expansion of water-intensive data centers, Tiffany focuses his platform on deregulation, tax freezes, and auditing the DNR before adjusting conservation fees, while Crowley advocates for mandatory renewable energy standards and stricter environmental enforcement for technology infrastructure.

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Stark contrast: Two candidates representing starkly contrasting viewpoints.

Tom Tiffany is a Republican politician currently serving as the U.S. Representative for Wisconsin’s 7th congressional district and running as the 2026 Republican nominee for Governor of Wisconsin. Raised on a dairy farm near Elmwood, Wisconsin, he earned an agricultural degree from the University of Wisconsin–River Falls. Before entering state politics, Tiffany operated a river cruise business in the Northwoods and served as a town supervisor for Little Rice, Wisconsin. His legislative career began in the state government, where he served in both the Wisconsin State Assembly and the Wisconsin State Senate from 2013 to 2020. Tiffany was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives during a May 2020 special election to represent northern and western Wisconsin, a seat he has held through consecutive re-elections.

Tiffany has served at the local, state, and federal levels of government, earning himself a 0 score in conservation

He received a 0% score on the Wisconsin Conservation Voters legislative scorecard. Representative Tom Tiffany’s legislative career is defined by a consistent rollback of environmental protections, earning him a 0% lifetime voting score from conservation groups. During his tenure as a Wisconsin state senator, Tiffany actively weakened local oversight by authoring legislative changes that stripped communities of their power to protect water quality near lakes and rivers.

His environmental policy decisions further expanded to cutting scientific resources within the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and championing extractive industries. This advocacy included supporting mining projects near protected public lands, such as the Boundary Waters region. This pattern of opposing conservation continued at the federal level, where Tiffany voted against major preservation initiatives like the Great American Outdoors Act. Concurrently, his clean air and energy record aligns closely with industrial interests; he co-introduced the Fair Air Standards Act to challenge federal ozone rules and vehicle emissions testing, while consistently voting in favor of traditional fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. Consequently, environmental advocacy groups continue to criticize his legislative history, viewing his platform as directly detrimental to public health and land preservation. I don’t feel confident Tiffany will uphold Wisconsin’s legacy of clean air and water, much less protect us from PFAS pollution caused by data centers. Tiffany states: Strongly opposes new data centers unless major tax incentives are rolled back. He promises to protect Wisconsin farmland and utility ratepayers from rising energy costs. It isn’t believable based on his environmental rollbacks history. Tiffany referred to data centers as an “exciting new technology” in February and earlier this week said data centers are necessary to stop them from being outsourced to China.

The other candidate’s stance on clean air & water brings hope for a healthy future

David Crowley is an American politician serving as the seventh executive of Milwaukee County and the Democratic nominee for Governor of Wisconsin in the 2026 election. Born on May 14, 1986, Crowley grew up facing housing instability and financial challenges in Milwaukee’s 53206 neighborhood before attending Bay View High School and graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He began his career as a youth community organizer and legislative aide, later serving in the Wisconsin State Assembly representing the 17th District from 2017 to 2020. In April 2020, Crowley made history as both the youngest person and the first African American elected as Milwaukee County Executive. After winning the Democratic gubernatorial primary in August 2026, his platform continues to prioritize affordable housing, expanded mental health and public health services, and strategic investments in public transit and local economic growth. He lives in Milwaukee with his wife, Ericka, and their three daughters.

During his executive tenure, he established a robust record on environmental protection by successfully driving down Milwaukee County’s operational greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 48% from a 2005 baseline. He championed and signed the county’s historic Climate Action 2050 plan to achieve complete operational carbon neutrality, a goal he advanced through fleet electrification, renewable energy adoption, and facility energy retrofits. His commitment to clean water and conservation is equally evident in his support for regional PFAS mitigation, enhanced stormwater systems, and accelerated investments to replace dangerous lead service lines. Additionally, he expanded environmental health staffing, protected local wetlands, and advanced community wellness through parkland preservation, urban forestry, and habitat rehabilitation. Woah! I can say there’s a sense of relief on the PFAS in data centers contamination front. I think he will uphold all those standards. Plus, David Crowley received an endorsement for governor from the Wisconsin Conservation Voters. His stand on data centers is the following: Advocates for a middle ground. He supports local control (allowing communities to reject projects), demands strict environmental standards, and wants developers to pay for their own energy infrastructure.

The 2026 Wisconsin gubernatorial race presents two contrasting approaches to water security and data center PFAS pollution: Tom Tiffany advocates for reducing regulatory oversight, weakening local environmental protections, and scaling back scientific resources at the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), whereas David Crowley champions proactive public health and resource conservation through active regional PFAS mitigation and measurable emissions reductions. Coming this November, the choice for clean air and water for Wisconsin’s future is clear: Crowley for people over profits! (pun intended)

Tom Tiffany and David Crowley move to define themselves and how voters view their opponent in an opening salvo of campaign ads — Inside Wisconsin Politics digests the start of their race for governor.