2026 Governor Candidate Responses on EMS

Every Wisconsin community deserves an ambulance when it calls 911. Protecting that promise by strengthening the EMS workforce, securing sustainable funding, and keeping agencies from reducing service or closing is at the heart of WEMSA’s advocacy work.

With Wisconsin electing a new governor this year, WEMSA went straight to the candidates and asked where they stand on the issues that matter most to the people who answer those calls. Their answers are below, in their own words.

WEMSA is a nonpartisan organization and does not endorse, support, or oppose any candidate for public office. Our focus is EMS and only EMS. We know our members weigh many issues when they vote, and we respect every member’s right to decide for themselves. We share these responses so you have the information to decide for yourself.

David Crowley

Democratic nominee

Yes. When someone calls 911, they need to know help is coming. That should be true whether they live in Milwaukee, a small town in Northwest Wisconsin, or a rural community miles from the nearest hospital. EMS is an essential public service, and our funding decisions need to reflect that.

As a husband and father of three daughters, I know what it means to trust someone else with your family’s safety. As Milwaukee County executive, I also know that dependable public services require a budget that supports the people doing the work. We cannot keep asking EMS professionals and volunteers to shoulder growing responsibilities without the resources they need.

That is why I helped bring Democrats and Republicans together to pass the shared revenue agreement that increased state support for communities across Wisconsin. Local leaders needed help paying for essential services, including EMS. We made progress by listening to those leaders and working across party lines.

As governor, I will build on that work. I will work with the Legislature, local governments, and EMS providers to strengthen ongoing state support and make reliable emergency coverage a priority in our budget. Rural and smaller communities need a meaningful voice in those decisions because their staffing challenges, distances, and resources are different.

Recognizing EMS as essential has to mean more than putting words in a statute. It means helping communities sustain coverage and giving agencies the ability to plan beyond the next budget crisis. My goal is straightforward: when a Wisconsin family needs emergency care, their community has the people and resources to respond.

Tom Tiffany

Republican nominee

Emergency medical services are an essential public service, especially in rural Wisconsin, where timely emergency care can mean the difference between life and death. As governor, I will prioritize EMS funding in the state budget to help communities maintain reliable emergency services, recruit and retain EMTs and paramedics, and provide the equipment and training our first responders need. I will also work with local governments to identify long-term funding solutions that strengthen emergency medical services without placing additional burdens on property taxpayers.

David Crowley

Democratic nominee

We have to make it easier to enter EMS and possible to stay. The people answering emergency calls deserve enough coworkers, the right equipment, and the support to do their jobs safely. Running short every shift takes a toll on providers and on the communities counting on them.

As governor, I will bring schools, technical colleges, and local EMS agencies together to strengthen pathways into these careers. My plan to help students graduate with college credit, industry credentials, or a two-year degree already underway can give more young people a head start. Connecting that work to local EMS needs can lower training costs and help students see a future serving the communities where they grew up.

We also need to listen to the experienced professionals and volunteers already doing this work. They know where training requirements, scheduling, and the demands of the job make it difficult to recruit and retain people. I want their experience shaping our response.

Workforce development and financial stability go together. An agency cannot recruit people into jobs it cannot reliably fund. As a county executive, I have had to balance budgets while protecting services people depend on. I will bring that experience to the state budget and work with local leaders on sustainable support for EMS. For agencies facing reduced coverage or closure, the state needs to be at the table early, helping communities identify what it will take to keep service available. We cannot wait until an ambulance stops running to take the problem seriously. Our EMS workforce shows up for Wisconsin every day. State government needs to show up for them.

Tom Tiffany

Republican nominee

As governor, I will prioritize EMS funding in the state budget to help departments recruit and retain EMTs and paramedics, expand training opportunities, and ensure rural communities can maintain reliable emergency services. I will also work with local governments to develop sustainable funding solutions. Last month, I experienced firsthand just how important our first responders are when the plane I was traveling in made an emergency landing on Lake Wausau. From the moment our 911 call reached dispatch to the moment first responders rescued us from the water, just 16 minutes had passed. I saw the very best of Wisconsin that night, and I will never forget it. As governor, I will make sure our EMS providers have the resources and support they need to continue saving lives across our state.

Learn More

To read more about each candidate’s positions, visit their campaign websites: David Crowley and Tom Tiffany.

WEMSA encourages all members to learn where candidates stand on the issues that affect Wisconsin EMS and to participate in the November 3 election. For voter registration, polling place, and ballot information, visit MyVote Wisconsin.