David
Crowley

A one-hour debate between Crowley and Tiffany was confirmed for Oct. 21, 7–8 p.m., hosted by WISN 12 at Marquette University Law School's Lubar Center, to be broadcast and streamed. As of Oct. 11, the debate had not yet taken place.

At a Madison-area campaign event, Crowley urged supporters to volunteer following the fundraising reports showing a large gap with Tiffany. One supporter publicly criticized his visibility and the limited public listing of campaign appearances. Crowley also addressed student affordability concerns.

Crowley announced a renter-focused policy package including a proposed cap on annual rent increases (exempting new construction), restoring local authority for rental-property inspections, giving tenants facing eviction more time and resources, and helping tenants make repairs. The plan also addressed student renters, though specific student protections had not yet been detailed. No specific rent-increase cap figure was given.

Obama released a video endorsement on Oct. 8, saying Crowley would 'fight to make Wisconsin more affordable' and calling him the person to 'lead Wisconsin forward.' Crowley said he was 'deeply honored.' He had also previously received endorsements from Gov. Tony Evers and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin.

Republicans aired a negative ad targeting Crowley's statements and Milwaukee County policies on immigration. A Townhall commentary characterized Crowley's positions in strongly negative terms. This reflected opponent messaging rather than a neutral account of Crowley's record. Crowley attributed a decline in his favorability in September polling to the volume of spending against him.

Crowley announced that as governor he would work with the Legislature on a constitutional amendment to explicitly protect reproductive freedom in Wisconsin, making it a central campaign commitment as Election Day approached.

For the period July 1–Sept. 23, Crowley's campaign reported $10.2 million raised, $7.8 million spent, and $2.8 million cash on hand, with about $2.7 million contributed by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Tiffany reported about $26.3 million raised, including more than $24 million transferred from the state Republican Party, fueled largely by three major donors.

Crowley said of Tiffany's financing: 'Tom Tiffany's $24 million coming directly from three billionaires means that the rest of this state and those that he reached out to only donated $2 million.' He also urged supporters to volunteer given the fundraising gap.

A Marquette University Law School poll released Sept. 30 put Crowley ahead of Tiffany 49% to 46% among likely voters, with 5% undecided. Among registered voters the lead was 46–45%. The likely-voter margin had narrowed from a prior month's 49–44%. Poll director Charles Franklin described the results as within the margin of error. Crowley's support among independents fell 11 points over the prior month.