1998 General Election for Governor – Thompson & Garvey
Incumbent Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson, a Republican, was seeking a record fourth term and had a nearly insurmountable lead in public opinion polls when he debated Democratic challenger Ed Garvey, a Madison attorney, on October 10, 1998, at the studios of WMSN-TV in Madison. Thompson’s response to a question about his national aspirations made headlines in subsequent days, and the debate revealed clear-cut differences between the candidates on a wide variety of issues, including environmental policy and reform efforts aimed at campaign financing, education, crime and property tax relief.
