Tom Tiffany fires first shot on data centers
Wisconsin's gubernatorial race is seeing candidates Tom Tiffany and David Crowley debate their positions on hyperscale data center development. Tiffany's ad criticizes Crowley for past support of data centers, while Crowley's campaign retorts by highlighting Tiffany's own pro-data center voting record. The contentious issue centers on public concerns regarding data centers' impact on utility rates, water usage, and environmental factors.
The issue of hyperscale data center proliferation has become a central point in Wisconsin's gubernatorial campaign, with Republican candidate Tom Tiffany launching an attack ad against Democrat David Crowley.
The ad labels Crowley as “data center David Crowley,” citing his past comments in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel questionnaire where he stated he does not support automatically rolling back tax incentives for data center development. Public opposition to large data centers often stems from concerns about their potential impact on utility rates, water usage, and other environmental factors.
In response, the Crowley campaign accused Tiffany of misrepresenting Crowley's record, noting that Tiffany, as a congressman, has voted for pro-data center legislation. Jonathan Fera, a spokesperson for the Crowley campaign, stated that Tiffany cannot defend his support of President Donald Trump's “cost-raising agenda.”
A Wisconsin Public Radio report clarified that Tiffany’s ad omits Crowley’s full response to the Journal Sentinel, which also included a call for more rigorous review of data center proposals.