Cost of living and affordability
Affordability and cost-of-living pressures are consistently top voter concerns in Wisconsin in 2026, ranking highest in Marquette Law Polls alongside jobs, health insurance, housing, and property taxes. Gubernatorial candidates Tom Tiffany and David Crowley both address it, with differing emphases on tax cuts versus investments in education, child care, health care, and housing to put money back in residents' pockets. Gov. Tony Evers has also named affordability a top priority for his final year and the campaign cycle.
What should be Wisconsin's main approach to easing cost-of-living pressures for families?
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Sources
David Crowley — https://fox11online.com/news/beyond-the-podium/know-your-candidates/david-crowley-tom-tiffany-in-depth-interviews-wisconsin-governor-race-affordability-budget-surplus-school-education-funding-taxes-data-centers
People want to tackle the affordability crisis, and the way that we do that is by providing relief. Making sure that there are homes that are affordable for them. Making sure that we lower property taxes by investing in our public schools, and by expanding child care and health care all across the state of Wisconsin so more money could be saved in people's pocketbooks.
Tom Tiffany — https://fox11online.com/news/beyond-the-podium/know-your-candidates/david-crowley-tom-tiffany-in-depth-interviews-wisconsin-governor-race-affordability-budget-surplus-school-education-funding-taxes-data-centers
Tiffany said his plan to ease cost of living pressures includes cutting taxes. "A decade ago, when I was in the state Legislature, we cut taxes each budget, and yet we had more revenue after cutting those taxes, and that's because people will spend that money," he said.
Marquette Law School Poll — https://today.marquette.edu/2026/09/marquette-law-poll-finds-that-wisconsin-governors-race-remains-tight-crowley-49-tiffany-46-among-likely-voters
As the choice for next most important, inflation and cost of living again takes the top spot, closely followed by jobs and the economy, health insurance, the affordability of housing, and property taxes.
Gov. Tony Evers — https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2026/01/13/gov-tony-evers-outlines-priorities-for-his-final-year-calls-for-lawmakers-to-work-with-him
Evers said that working on affordability in Wisconsin would be one of his top priorities — and likely one of the top issues in the 2026 campaign cycle.
Positions on this issue · liberal → conservative
- Heavily expand public investments in schools, child care, health care, and housing aid to lower family costs
- Combine targeted public investments with selective tax relief focused on working families
- Balance moderate tax cuts with continued funding for key cost-relief programs
- Prioritize broad tax cuts and reduced spending to leave more money in residents' pockets
- Focus mainly on deep across-the-board tax cuts and minimal new government spending