WAUPUN — Members of the Waupun business community attended an event Monday afternoon to discuss issues related to the Department of Corrections with Tom Tiffany, Republican candidate for Governor of Wisconsin.
Tom Tiffany has served as Representative to Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District since winning a special election in May 2020, and in September 2025 announced he would run for Governor of Wisconsin on the Republican ticket. He has since been endorsed by President Donald J. Trump and all Republican members of Congress from Wisconsin.
While on a call with Tom Tiffany, Mayor of Waupun Rohn Bishop offered to put together an event for the gubernatorial candidate to meet with members of the Waupun community, including business leaders, correctional staff, and local elected officials to discuss the issue of Corrections.
This included Assemblyman Mark Born, Fond du Lac County Executive Sam Kaufman, City Administrator Kathy Schlieve, leadership of SSM Health Waupun Memorial Hospital, and other Waupun business leaders.
“It was a great discussion,” Mayor Bishop said in a statement following the event. “Congressman Tiffany learned about the partnerships WCI has with our community, especially the hospital and Waupun Utilities. He even commented how impressed he was with how supportive Waupun is about corrections. I appreciate his time and willingness to learn, and I am confident that if he’s elected governor, Waupun will be heard.”
Mayor Bishop also talked about the history of the prison during the event, about its foundation in 1851 when Seymour Wilcox donated the land to the State for the purpose of the prison, and that the site had been chosen due to the high bedrock.
“I stressed that we take pride in our past, including 114 years of making license plates,” Mayor Bishop said.
The original Waupun Correctional Institution building was completed in 1854, and serves as the oldest and longest running state prison in Wisconsin.
“It was a productive discussion in Waupun about the vital role Corrections plays in the community,” said Tom Tiffany in a statement to Waupun Pioneer News following the event. “Thank you to the local leaders, correctional staff, and residents for their engagement. As governor, I look forward to working together to keep corrections, health care, and public safety strong in Waupun.”
The gubernatorial primary will be held on August 11, 2026 with the general election on November 3, 2026. As of March 31, only one other Republican candidate has filed paperwork to run in the primary, while nine candidates have announced candidacy in the Democrat primary. Another six have filed as Independent. The filing deadline is June 1, 2026.
