Wisconsin GOP Candidate Survives Plane Incident
Wisconsin GOP Candidate Survives Plane Incident
Republican Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany reported that he and a pilot sustained minor injuries following an emergency water landing. Their small aircraft lost power and ended up in Lake Wausau on a Saturday evening.
Returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner, the plane encountered difficulties as it neared Wausau Downtown Airport. According to Tiffany, the pilot managed to set the aircraft down on water. Tiffany later shared these details in a statement on X.
After landing, we called 911. As the plane began to submerge, we exited the aircraft and swam to a shallow area, where we waited until emergency responders reached us by boat.
A report from the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that a private aircraft entered Lake Wausau around 9 p.m. Saturday. Local reports indicated that both occupants sustained minor injuries and were hospitalized.
Tiffany thanked the Wausau Fire Department and other emergency responders for their prompt action. The pair was transported to Aspirus Wausau Hospital.
Thankfully, both the pilot and I sustained only minor injuries. God was watching over us tonight, and I am incredibly grateful to be here in the hospital with my wife, Chris, by my side. An experience like this reminds you just how precious life is.
Who Is Tom Tiffany?
Tom Tiffany serves as a Republican congressman for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District and is a 2026 gubernatorial candidate. He entered Congress after a 2020 special election and had previously worked in the Wisconsin State Assembly and State Senate.
He has roots on a Wisconsin dairy farm and once operated a Northwoods excursion-boat business with his wife. Tiffany currently sits on the House Judiciary and Natural Resources committees.
Politicians and Small-Plane Travel
Small aircraft have been essential for American political figures traveling across large or rural areas. Such travel presents risks; for instance, Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone died in a plane crash near Eveleth, Minnesota, in 2002.
In another incident, Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan perished in a plane accident in October 2000. Similarly, former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens died in a 2010 floatplane crash after surviving a previous aviation mishap.
This news story is ongoing and will receive further updates.