So I imagine someone going, whoa.
It's always in the back.
All right, well, I guess kind
of the summary here, walk
me through the quick version of the
last two weeks for you.
Because this has gotta be just a
pretty up and down, right?
The last two weeks has been
absolutely a rollercoaster, a
whirlwind, you know, making a
decision to suspend my campaign
based off of the information that I
had, which was really a tough
decision to make.
And then coming back into this race,
because so much information has
changed since I stepped out of this
race. And I like to make my,
the best decisions based off the
data, based off on the facts.
And because that has changed, I'm
back into the race.
Yes, it's been a whirl wind, but we
have seen an incredible amount of
momentum since coming back
in, back into game.
So.
To have Governor Eber's endorsement,
laborers, mayors all across the
state of Wisconsin, we're really
excited as far as what we're gonna
be able to do on August 11th and
ultimately, when the governorship
will keep it blue on November 3rd.
So,
look, somewhere down the road when
you have time to reflect,
do you think there'll be an
idea that maybe this was a benefit
to you, like, because it was a
bigger splash coming back in,
as opposed to if you just stayed in
the race and then had a surge?
Well, I mean...
I mean, hindsight is always 20-20,
right? So trying to wonder
what would have happened or how
things would have unfolded if I was
in this race, we don't know, can't
look into a crystal ball, but
we did see a resurgence of energy.
I mean I think we had more people at
our relaunch party that was at our
launch party and now I think it's
become more of a real opportunity
for us to not only just win this
governorship but to flip the state
Senate, flip the State Assembly.
And so I'm really excited as far as
the momentum that we're building.
But we can't make it seem as if
we're just gonna coast through this
primary. I have to earn every single
vote and I plan on doing it.
There's a narrative that's
clearly shaping of there's Francesca
Hong who's been polling pretty
consistently in the lead, she's over
on the farther left with her
platform, and then there's
everyone else kind of seeing who can
be head-to-head with her.
Is there a concern that the rest of
you could kind of split the centrist
moderate votes of those that either
like you guys better or
are worrying about a general
election that she might not be best
suited for? Well, this is a
democracy.
Right? And that means that anybody
can get into these, you know, run
for office, run for county exec
office or run for governor.
I'll be the first to say, just
because you're running doesn't mean
you should become the next governor.
But ultimately we all have the
same goal is to make sure that we
can tackle the affordability crisis
that people can afford, you to pay
for their own groceries, afford
housing, childcare, healthcare, you
name it, and ultimately defeat
time. Tiffany, we don't want to
see a Republican, a mega extremist.
Occupying the governor's office.
So no matter what happens
post-primary, it's extremely
important that Democrats hunker
down. We got to come to the table
and focus on building the necessary
coalition in order to defeat Tiffany
and Donald Trump.
So when you look at the landscape
here, there's a lawsuit that's
been filed by the Democratic Party
trying to allow people to spoil
absentee ballots.
There are a lot of people that have
voted already.
Not everyone wants to change their
mind on how they voted.
But how big of a factor does that
play when we're talking about
something that may be a close
election in the end?
I mean, this is not about,
you know, the candidates, this
about the people, right?
And so, you now, if I'm not
mistaken, we suspended our campaign
July 8th, they came up with this
guidance July 9th.
And so I think it's important that
you allow people's voices to be
heard. And when I received all those
phone calls while I was out of this
race, a lot of people were, were
quite frankly disappointed because
they felt like they, they cast their
other name is Fort Naughton, so.
I commend the Democratic Party of
Wisconsin pushing this lawsuit,
trying to overturn the guidance that
was given.
And not that it's just bad guidance,
but we're so close to an election,
we're just a little over a month
from this election.
And so with this being a critical
election for Democrats picking
the right nominee, I do think
that there is merit to the case that
the Democratic party is bringing to
the Wisconsin Election Commission to
allow everybody's voice to be heard.
So, polling shows anywhere from
a third to half of Democratic voters
are still undecided.
Are they going to play, follow the
leader, are they going look, are
those people you think looking for
who's got momentum, who's go the
best chance, there's a theory
that they don't want to spoil their
vote on someone who doesn't have,
even if it's their favorite
candidate, that's someone who's not
going to win.
So are they looking to see who's
going to take that lead and join the
winning team kind of thing?
Yeah.
You know, I think that, you know, we
start off with what, like six to
seven to nine candidates in this
race. And so I can imagine how
overwhelming that could be for many
voters. But I work with many of
these candidates in some type of
capacity at the state level or as
a county executive.
And I know it's tough for a lot of
voters, but I just want them to look
at not just what we want to bring to
the state of Wisconsin as far as our
vision and the mission to make sure
that every single community, rural,
suburban, urban has an opportunity
But who's in the best position to
actually get it done?
I'm the only executive in this race
and I've had a great opportunity to
do great work here in Milwaukee
County and extend that work
across the state of Wisconsin and I
want to make sure that we can do the
exact same thing as the next couple.
Now, Republicans and national media
are jumping all over the Democrats
and disray and chaos.
Is there something to be said for
having more attention?
Like, people are now waking up like,
oh wow, there is an election, I
may have forgotten about that.
Well, you know, the Republican
Party, I mean, they're always
throwing names and throwing bombs
out there. I mean heck, they are
even investing and meddling
in our Democratic primary for
governor. And so for me, I would
like the Republicans to focus on
their side of the aisle, focus on
what they need to be doing while we
sort this out.
And again, democracy can be messy.
And you know people want to focus
their candidate, they want to push
their candidate. But we can't
continue to tear down
one another, right?
It doesn't matter where you lay on
the political spectrum as a
Republican or as a Democrat or a
Democratic Socialist of America or
MAGA, our goal is to make
sure that we are delivering results
for working families, for real
people here in the state of
Wisconsin. So I'm not worried about
the labels and where people
side on the political spectrum
because at the end of the day, it's
a lot of gray in politics.
And we just need, we need government
to work again.
It doesn' matter what you believe in
or who you want to vote, we know
that we have to do better.
So there's a theory that no
matter what it looks like right now,
of how clean or neat the democratic
primary may be, once it's over,
as long as there's unity, this will
be forgotten by the time anywhere
close to ballots coming out in the
fall. Is that fair, do you think?
I think it is fair, you know, I
think that we've
experienced a lot of trauma, you
know, in the past decade when you
think about our elections, right,
and we're still re-litigating the
2020 election related to whether
Donald Trump lost or not, and he
absolutely did.
But I do think this is helpful,
right? For us to focus on not just
the candidate themselves,
but the policies and the coalition
that they can build.
And so this provides a great
opportunity for voters to really do
a deep dive into each candidate and
what they bring to table, but
Again, we know this can
be messy, and so I just want folks
to understand that while we
are fighting for our candidate,
let's make sure we're respecting one
another and focused on our ultimate
goal come August 12th.
So talking about that, Tom Tiffany's
had the field to himself for quite a
while. He's been running a lot of
positive ads portraying himself as
the friendly guy at the bar.
Is that going to be too much to
overcome when it comes to redefining
him in the eyes of people that may
not have had an opinion of him
before?
You know, I don't think that we have
to redefine him because he's defined
himself already.
I mean, he has been in Congress for
a few years, almost a decade, if I'm
not mistaken.
And what his record shows is that he
is willing to do whatever Trump
tells him to do, or vote whatever
Trump wants.
And when he doesn't like it and
doesn't want to take a bad vote, he
just doesn't show up to
session. And I think that people
need to understand who he is.
I mean he's created barriers,
put up barriers when it comes down
to reproductive freedom.
He doesn't believe that we should be
investing in childcare and public
education.
He wants to freeze, you know, our
utility rates, which means that
we're going to have to burn more
coal and we won't be able to invest
in the clean energy infrastructure
that we need here in the state of
Wisconsin. And so we don't have to
redefine, we just have to make sure
that people know who he has always
been.
And like my grandma used to say, you
when someone shows you who they are
the first time you have to believe
them. And I think at the end of the
day we have to show who exactly
Tom Tiffany has been, not just as a
congressman, but also as a state
representative, excuse me, a state
senator as well.
Will there be enough money for
a Democrat to be able to do that?
There's stories coming out about the
National DNC being deep in debt.
The State Democratic Party has not
raised nearly as much as some people
might have expected to be to
transfer to the winning candidate.
Obviously you guys are spending all
your money right now.
What's that period going to look
like in mid-August when
he's running ads attacking the
winner and Democrats are still
trying to fundraise?
Well, we've been able to see a surge
in fundraising in the past couple of
days, and we want to continue that
momentum, because unfortunately,
it does take money to run these
types of races. And you think about
how much money we're spending in
these races?
We could be solving the problems
that we're actually talking about
and running these campaigns on.
And so we know that we have to
continue to talk to as many
grassroots supporters as possible,
because it's about putting your
money where your mouth is, right?
And so if we want to not
just win.
The governorship and keep it blue.
But if you want to take over the
state Senate, take over to the state
assembly, it's going to take money.
There's one other power that I
believe Trump's
pun not intended, money
power is, and that's people power.
And so as long as we continue to
build the necessary coalition,
where we have voters, we have
supporters, we have folks who are
willing to volunteer their time to
talk about this message, about what
is actually on the ballot, because
it's not just the candidates, it is
reproductive freedom.
It's affordable housing.
It's childcare, it's healthcare,
it is expanding badger cares, making
sure that our farmers get access
to the resources that they need
so they can become more sustainable
because they're not looking for a
handout. So, as long as we
continue to do that, build this
momentum, there's no doubt in my
mind that we'll keep the government
ship.
So you've been in this race,
obviously, for a long time, since
last fall.
You've had months and months to
travel the state, meet people, shake
hands. Is this last stretch, though,
just about dollars and campaign ads
and getting your message out?
Or is it still about meeting people,
even in these last couple days?
All of the above, you know, you're
gonna need those dollars, right?
Those dollars helped to pay for
lodging while we're traveling across
the state.
Gasoline at the pump while we travel
across the states, putting up ads,
utilizing both traditional and
non-traditional media.
But it's also, I have to go out
there. We have been traveling all
across the State.
We've been in Depeer, we've been at
Marinette, we been in La Crosse,
we've in Viroqua, we have been in
Beloit, we're been in Madison.
And all those days in just the past
five, all those places in just the
past five days.
And so I don't plan on leaving no
stone unturned, and we're gonna put
a lot more miles on the truck to
make sure that we're earning every
foe across Wisconsin.
Have you noticed people that
maybe weren't as tuned in to your
campaign, but now with like the
return, it's like, oh, well, now I
do want to check this guy out.
You know, Governor Evers said,
listen to this guy.
Well, I think that right now, this
is where people are actually
starting to tune in a lot more.
And so, you know, the relaunch
definitely helped us with that
momentum, and we know we need to
continue to ride that wave, but it's
going to take some hard work.
So I'm looking forward to traveling
all across the state with Governor
Evers by my side, making the case
on why I'll be the best governor for
the state of Wisconsin.
If you win, it's just going to be
the new platform, like suspend
midterm and then relaunch.
I would not recommend anybody
to suspend their campaign in the
middle of this.
You know, I'll tell you that we
suspended our campaign, we endorsed,
and once that information came out
that next Monday, I started getting
all these phone calls, and I'll be
honest with you. I said no.
Me and my wife, we said no, we
booked a trip to Jamaica, we're
ready to leave at the end of this
month.
But we prayed about it, and
after that prayer, our prayer was
actually answered.
And so.
You know, the biggest lesson that
I've learned throughout all this,
make sure you buy travel insurance.
But they had to be because people
talked about like the numbers in
campaign financing like the numbers
raised represent a
momentum behind them and when the
numbers are inflated that that's not
the true picture right I mean
there's got to be a gut punch of
like what like
I mean, it was a gut punch, but you
know, I talked to Lieutenant
Governor twice during that week
before I got into the race, and
I let her know while I was angry
and disappointed by what had
happened, I do not believe this
is her fault,
this is, you know her campaign
manager's fault, who she fired.
I was still going to continue to
back her because at the time, with
the information and the data said
that we should do to make sure that
we're allowing the best candidate to
win this race. But when she made her
decision to drop out...
I made my decision to get back
in, and so now,
you know, I'm going to continue to
talk to as many people as possible,
keep my energy up, raise the funds,
and I think that is showing that
we're building so much momentum,
$550,000 raised
in the first five days, volunteers,
labor organizations, elected
officials, including Governor Evers,
endorsing us, because they know
about my judgment, they know the
experience that I bring, and they
know that I care about the people of
this country.
So is Jamaica rebooked or is
it just on hold?
I'm trying to still figure that out
as far as what we're going to do
with Jamaica, but hopefully I'll
find out soon because we're supposed
to be leaving on July 30th.
Alright, anything else you want to
add along these lines?
They can get everything.
All right, that's what we need.
Thank you.
Appreciate it. Thanks for coming in.