Wisconsin election: Updates from Crowley, Tiffany watch parties

And the decision on everyone's ballot, the race for governor. All right, let's look at the numbers as we start here at nine o'clock in Wisconsin. David Crowley has a lead, but it's all about where these votes are coming from. There are a lot of red votes, a lot of red areas still out there. So this is still too close to call. Fifty seven percent for David Crowley, forty three percent for Tom Tiffany. The two candidates, they're holding watch parties on their home turf tonight. And let's start with Bill Miston in Wausau, where the Tiffany campaign is gathering. Hey there, Bill. Yeah. Hey there, guys. The music is playing and people are packed into the ballroom here at the Hilton in Wausau tonight. More than 200 people gathering to support Tom Tiffany and what they hope will be a return of a Republican to the governor's office. Now, early on, Tom Tiffany came out to greet those supporters here in the room. The planks of Tiffany's campaign include ending Governor Tony Evers' partial veto that locked in school funding increases for 400 years, returning the state's $3 billion surplus to taxpayers when it comes to immigration prohibiting municipalities from passing sanctuary policies and ending sales tax exemptions for data centers and other restrictions on where data centers can build. Now, Tiffany was elected to Congress representing Wisconsin's 7th, which includes much of north central and northwestern Wisconsin, primarily rural areas. Tiffany previously served in the Wisconsin Senate and Assembly beginning in 2011, and before that served as an elected town officer and as a town supervisor in He worked as a dam tender for several decades. Now, in the race for governor, Tiffany is paired on the ticket with David Varnum, his running mate for lieutenant governor. Varnum is the former mayor of Lancaster, Wisconsin. Now, this race for governor is the first open race for governor since 2010. That's when Scott Walker defeated Tom Barrett, Milwaukee's mayor. Now, Republicans are seeking to regain the governor's office since Scott Walker lost his re-election bid to Tony Evers in 2018. And if Republicans can retain the Senate... Sorry. If Republicans can retain the Assembly and Senate, deliver a trifecta for governance here in the state. Now, today, Tiffany cast his ballot in the town of Little Rice, and take a listen to what he had to say ahead of this evening. It's been a terrific campaign. We started over a year ago, and we talked about the issues that are important to Wisconsin. And I think that's one of the big differences, especially people saw during the debate, where my opponent talked about what he's against and things like that. Whereas I was focused all along on what I'm going to do for Wisconsin, providing real leadership, reduce taxes. Have fewer regulations and make sure we audit all of state government. I think people liked hearing that we gave them real substance and just a vision for how Wisconsin can be really one of the shining stars here in America. Now, it's pretty remarkable that we're here at all. Tiffany is here considering he survived a plane crash that was coming in to land here in Wausau and crashed, made a crash landing into Lake Wausau. He made it out relatively unscathed and no doubt something that has been on his mind throughout the rest of the campaign. Now, you may remember, though, back in 2020, Tiffany was voted against accepting the Electoral College votes for Arizona and Pennsylvania, part of an to overturn Joe Biden's victory. And Tiffany also supported the efforts to overturn Trump's 2020 loss in Wisconsin, a state that Trump won in 2016 and in 2024. It's important to note that those elections were decided by less than a point. So unsure of where those votes will be cast between the two candidates here in the governor's race, but something that everyone is going to be watching closely here as the night progresses. Reporting Live in Wausau, Bill Liston, Fox 6 News. And they've gone with the live band at that watch party. All right, Bill, thanks. If Tom Tiffany wins, he would be a Republican for the first time in the governor's office in eight years. Let's go to Bria Jones, who's live downtown, where the David Crowley campaign has rented out a concert venue for the watch party. Bria. I have no sign yet of David Crowley. His campaign tells me that he's actually taking a private moment with his family to really just take in this moment to watch those results come in. But his supporters, they are here. They have packed the Landmark Credit Union Live. Take a look here. I estimate there are probably a few hundred people here. Now, this is the lower level, but there is a VIP area upstairs, and there are dozens and dozens, maybe even a few hundred people to the side that are in the bar areas as well. So they are all hoping. We're hoping to be here tonight to witness David Crowley make history by potentially becoming Wisconsin's first black governor. His platform has been based on his lived experiences as a young child growing up in one of Milwaukee's poorest zip codes, facing eviction. So this race has come with its fair share of challenges, as we all have reported on. We know that Crowley dropped out of the race. He reentered days later after Lieutenant Governor Sarah Rodriguez had a campaign finance scandal. Now, Crowley's promise to voters is simple. Affordability, care, and opportunity. How confident are you tonight that David Crowley will be elected the state's next governor? I'm very confident. I mean, we've seen amazing turnout all over Wisconsin, especially in the areas we want to see, college campuses. I stopped by a ward in the city of Madison. We're already at 68 percent voter turnout at 1 p.m. So I'm feeling really great. It looks like it's pretty mixed in the places where Republicans would probably want to see a lot more happening. So I feel like David Crowley is odds favorite to be our next governor. And I think Democrats have a real shot to win a trifecta for the first time in 16 years and deliver real change Thank you. The Landmark Credit Union live. Again, no sight yet of David Crowley just yet. We're told he's taking in that private moment. But there are quite a number of dignitaries here. I had a chance to speak with the mayor of Waukesha, the mayor of Wauwatosa is here. And I'm looking out and I can also see Mayor Cavalier-Johnson, mayor of Milwaukee here as well. And so only time will tell when exactly we should expect to see David Crowley take the stage as he prepares to deliver some sort of speech tonight. We know he's hoping for that victory speech. But again, we are watching as those results are trickling in. I'll send it back to you in the studio. We're going to start the video. We spoke with those dignitaries. Are they saying anything about the possibility that history could be made tonight? Kim, that hasn't really been a big topic of conversation just yet. David Crowley has kind of spoken about this just over the last few days. For him, he says that he's focused right now on getting the job done. And then I think that's when we should expect to see him and a few others really address potentially, as you just said, that history could be made with David Crowley potentially becoming Wisconsin's first black governor. All right, Bria Jones, thank you from that watch party downtown.