Democrat David Crowley leads Republican Tom Tiffany by three percentage points among likely voters in Wisconsin’s governor’s race, a new Marquette University Law School poll found, even as Tiffany’s campaign reported raising nearly four times as much money during the latest fundraising period. The poll, released Wednesday, showed Crowley ahead 49% to 46%, with 5% undecided. Among registered voters, the contest was closer: Crowley led 46% to 45%. Poll director Charles Franklin said the results showed little overall movement and were within the margin of error, though Crowley’s lead among likely voters had narrowed slightly from the previous month. Campaign finance reports filed at the end of September showed Tiffany raised more than $26 million from July 1 through Sept. 23, bringing his total for the year above $39 million. He spent nearly $19 million and had $12 million remaining. More than $24 million of Tiffany’s fundraising during the period came from the Republican Party of Wisconsin, which can transfer unlimited amounts to candidates under state law. The party reported raising $29 million during that period, including $27.6 million from billionaire donors Diane Hendricks and Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein. Crowley’s campaign raised $10.2 million during the reporting period, spent $7.8 million and finished with $2.8 million on hand. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin contributed $2.7 million to his campaign. The state party reported receiving $1 million apiece from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and donor Lynde Uihlein during the period. Speaking at a Madison event Wednesday, Crowley argued that Tiffany’s financial advantage reflected the influence of wealthy donors rather than broad public support. He said his campaign was concentrating on “people power” and on issues including lowering costs and expanding access to child care and health care. Dane County Executive Melissa Agard, who attended the event, said she did not believe the fundraising disparity would decide the race. She pointed to Wisconsin voters’ rejection of outside spending efforts in the 2024 state Supreme Court election and said residents would respond to candidates’ records and priorities. The poll also showed a shift in how voters view Crowley. Thirteen percentage points more respondents said they viewed him unfavorably than favorably, compared with a four-point favorable advantage in the previous poll. Franklin said the change was driven largely by Republicans, while Tiffany’s favorability also slipped slightly. Crowley’s support among independent voters fell by 11 points, though the poll found 44% of independents backed him, 18% supported Tiffany and 38% remained undecided. Democratic strategist Scot Ross said the polling suggested Republican advertising against Crowley was resonating and urged Democrats to more forcefully connect Tiffany to President Donald Trump. In the poll, Trump’s approval rating among Wisconsin respondents was 38%, while 60% disapproved of his job performance. Tiffany was viewed unfavorably by 45% of respondents. The campaign is also navigating questions about how often Crowley is meeting voters in person. Erica Bartsch, a supporter who backed state Rep. Francesca Hong in the primary, said Crowley should do more to connect directly with residents. Hong narrowly lost the primary to Crowley and has since traveled the state to encourage her supporters to back him. Crowley has made appearances around Wisconsin, including at community events in La Crosse, Black River Falls and Kenosha, though some events have not been posted in advance on his campaign website or social media. The campaign says its website is being updated; it currently lists volunteer opportunities but not a schedule of public events. Crowley recently returned from a California fundraiser with former Vice President Kamala Harris and actor Sean Penn, where attendees gave between $500 and $20,000. He has said he is open to campaigning with people focused on lowering costs for working families. Tiffany has declined several debate invitations but agreed to one hosted by WISN-12 on Oct. 21. With early voting underway and the election approaching, Agard said voters want more opportunities to meet the candidates. Crowley’s campaign and the state Democratic Party say they have tried to contact more than 500,000 voters since the primary.