On Saturday evening, US Representative and gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany flew home after attending campaign events earlier that day. The plane he was riding in, a Beechcraft Bonanza, suddenly lost power, and the pilot, Republican Party of Langlade County chairman Leonard Boltz, had to make an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau, immediately adjacent to the airport.
Both Tiffany and Boltz suffered minor injuries and were able to exit the plane and swim a short distance to an area shallow enough for them to stand while waiting for first responders to rescue them with an airboat. Tiffany had a laceration over his right eye and received twelve stitches before being released from the hospital.
While the incident understandably shook Tiffany, he was still together enough to make it into a Trump-esque moment, complete with a closed-to-the-public press conference with some of the first responders. The only thing missing was a maxipad above his eye. Tiffany did promise that he would bravely persevere and keep on campaigning, although he seemed less interested in getting back to Washington, DC, to do his job.
The FAA has started to investigate the incident. Since it happened in Northern Wisconsin, I'm sure that Sean Duffy will take a personal interest in the investigation so that it will be easier for him to stump for his son-in-law, Michael Alfonso. I'm sure that Duffy will blame the incident on DEI fish in the lake or something equally ridiculous.
While conservatives in the state helped ham it up with Tiffany, the Democrats did nothing to give the Republicans cause for faux outrage.
While returning home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner tonight, the plane I was traveling in lost power as we approached the Wausau Downtown Airport. The pilot made an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau.
After landing, we called 911. As the plane began to…— Tom Tiffany (@TomTiffanyWI) September 13, 2026
