Tom Tiffany, GOP Candidate for WI Governor, Refuses to Sign Pro-Democracy Pledge

Republican candidate for Wisconsin governor Tom Tiffany has refused to sign a pro-democracy pledge that was sent by a nonpartisan group to both him and Democratic candidate David Crowley.

The inaction by Tiffany, who is currently a member of the House of Representatives, comes as he has tried to stave off criticism relating to his past efforts to block the results of the 2020 presidential election.

The pledge was sent to both candidates by an organization known as Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy, a bipartisan group of business owners and managers that promotes “free, fair, and regular elections.” It was sent to the two candidates in late August.

Among other items, the pledge asked the candidates whether they would “cooperate with election officials, adhere to rules and regulations, and refrain from knowingly propagating falsehoods about the electoral process.” It also asked them to promise to “encourage a peaceful election atmosphere” during several parts of the election, and to “denounce any attempt to intimidate, harass, threaten, or incite violence against opponents, their supporters, and election workers.”

While the pledge largely concerns actions the two candidates could take as governor during future elections (including the 2028 presidential race), it also includes a vow to accept the outcome of the contest they are currently in.

Tiffany’s refusal to sign and return the pledge to Wisconsin Business Leaders for Democracy resulted in the organization formally endorsing Crowley for governor.

“We asked both candidates for governor to make a simple commitment: respect the voters, respect the results and uphold the rule of law. David Crowley signed that pledge. Tom Tiffany did not,” said John Florsheim, president at Weyco Group, Inc. and a member of the business group. “At a time when our democratic institutions face serious threats, Wisconsin voters deserve to know where their candidates stand.”

Even if Tiffany had signed the pledge, however, he would already be in violation of its standards. During his debate with Crowley last week, the Republican was asked why he supported efforts to disrupt the outcome of the 2020 presidential race, in which Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump.

“One of the reasons that I did that is ‘Zuckerbucks,’” Tiffany said in his response.

That term refers to donations made by Center for Tech and Civic Life, a nonprofit funded by Meta head Mark Zuckerberg that provided $10 million in grants to help cities across the country run their elections during the COVID pandemic. Pro-Trump conspiracy theorists wrongly allege that money was instead used to steal the election.

Tiffany’s answer would have violated the part of the pledge that deals with “knowingly propagating falsehoods” in elections.

Tiffany played a role in attempting to block the certification of Biden’s presidential win. As part of a last-ditch effort to stall the counting of Electoral College votes, Republican-dominated states submitted a lawsuit to the Supreme Court, and GOP lawmakers in Congress submitted an amicus brief in support of that effort. Tiffany was the only member of the Wisconsin congressional delegation (which included five other Republicans at the time) to place his name in support of the amicus brief.