Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., a candidate for Wisconsin governor, speaks during a news conference Wednesday, April 8, 2026, about what the GOP needs to do in November after big defeats in the spring election, outside of the state Capitol in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)

Last week, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI), the GOP frontrunner for Wisconsin’s gubernatorial race this year, publicly bashed WE Energies, the state’s largest electricity provider which has donated thousands to his congressional campaigns.

Tiffany made the criticism in an X post on April 1, after the utility company proposed a 14% rate hike for electric customers. In his gubernatorial bid, Tiffany has focused his campaign on criticizing Democrats for high utility costs in Wisconsin.

In response, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mandela Barnes (D) pointed out that WE Energies previously donated a total of $9,500 to Tiffany’s U.S. House campaigns dating back to 2019.

Tiffany did not respond to a request to comment on WE Energies’ past donations, or his long record on supporting policies that benefit utility companies and have increased costs for consumers.

Tiffany approved increasing natural gas exports

Last November, Tiffany and 216 members of the U.S. House, including 11 Democrats, passed House Resolution 1949, a bill that would remove restrictions on natural gas imports and exports. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected that if HR 1949 becomes law, it would likely increase electric utility rates to offset the costs associated with the bill.

HR 1949 passed in the House on Nov. 20, 2025. It has not yet received a vote in the Senate, where 10 Democrats would need to vote for it along with all 50 Republicans to bypass the filibuster.

President Donald Trump has already increased natural gas exports in his second term, which has been shown to drive up the price of natural gas, which is used for roughly 40% of America’s electricity production.

An analysis conducted by Public Citizen found that the average American family paid over $124 more on their utility bills in the first nine months of 2025, which coincided with Trump’s 22% increase in natural gas exports during that time.

Iran war support

As recently as last Wednesday, Tiffany endorsed Trump’s unprovoked war with Iran, including the president’s rhetoric about eliminating the entire Iranian civilization.

As of April 10, the total cost for the war was estimated at nearly $30 billion, with the Trump administration preparing to ask Congress to approve $80-$100 billion dedicated to the conflict. Republicans have discussed more health care cuts to pay for the war.

Gas prices also exploded in the U.S. partially due to Iran blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane for oil transportation. The average gas price in Wisconsin rose to $3.82 as of April 10, up from $2.93 on March 4.

Amid a tentative ceasefire, Iran has kept control of the Strait of Hormuz and reports have surfaced that they are charging tolls on ships passing through, which was not a policy before Trump started the war. In response, Trump blockaded the waterway after failed peace talk negotiations. 

The increased prices for gas and diesel could also hit consumers in other ways. Amazon announced that a 3.5% fuel surcharge will be implemented against sellers on the platform starting on April 17 amid the effects from the Iran war. While the new fee will not directly impact consumers, some experts believe it will impact prices on Amazon.

“If you’re a seller, you face a very tough choice: Either you absorb the cost, and so your margin lowers, or you raise prices,” University of Virginia business professor Luca Cain told USA TODAY.

Tiffany opposed consumer protections

In 2022, Tiffany also voted against the Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act, which would have given the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) the power to implement penalties on companies that engaged in price gouging and prohibit other exploitative practices. The bill passed in the House mostly on party lines and did not receive enough Republican support in the Senate to pass.

From 2013-20, Tiffany also served in the Wisconsin state Senate and as a member of the influential Joint Finance Committee, which votes on items to include in the state’s biennial budget. In 2015, Tiffany and the Republicans on the committee voted to significantly reduce funding for the Citizen Utility Board, an organization that works to lower utility rates for customers in Wisconsin. The funding was partially restored in 2017 by Gov. Scott Walker (R).

EDITOR’S NOTE (4/17): A previous version of this article incorrectly stated Tiffany was the chair of Wisconsin’s Joint Finance Committee. He was just a member.