WISCONSIN (CBS 58) — Both gubernatorial candidates faced off in the only gubernatorial debate last night. So, how did they do? The expert we spoke with said neither candidate won nor lost the debate, and the governor’s race could still go either way.

“I would say what both candidates did is they presented what it means to be a left-of-center Democrat and a right-of-center Republican nowadays. And obviously, the definition of being a liberal or conservative is a pretty fluid and dynamic one in our lifetime,” said Mordecai Lee, professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

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The hourlong debate, hosted by WISN, gave each candidate an opportunity to defend his positions and explain why he would be the best choice for governor.

Affordability is the most important issue for voters, according to polling. David Crowley highlighted his record, which he said shows he is working for Wisconsin, while Tom Tiffany shared one of his policy proposals.

“Every single year, we have been able to bring down the property tax rate. We delivered the largest property tax cut in history, and every single year, we’ve balanced a budget. And I did that by working with Democrats and Republicans on a bipartisan level to make sure we can deliver for our communities,” Crowley, the Democratic candidate for governor, said during the debate.

“While the state has a surplus, the people out there in Wisconsin, they don’t have a surplus in their bank accounts at this point. We should return it, and we should return it in long-term tax relief. I would prefer not to do it as a one-time check,” said Tiffany, the Republican candidate for governor.

So, the big question: Did the debate sway undecided voters one way or the other? Lee said it is hard to tell.

“The 38% is likely with several different factions, and I think it would be impossible to be able to generalize about all of them,” Lee said.

After the debate, Tiffany’s campaign criticized the Crowley campaign for having a spokesperson address the press. Tiffany claimed both campaigns had agreed beforehand to speak to reporters. However, the Crowley campaign disputed that claim, saying no agreement had been made.

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Matt Smith, one of the moderators of the debate on WISN, confirmed that. He said in a media interview that both candidates were given the option, but that it wasn't agreed upon.

It is worth noting that, after previous debates, representatives from both parties have spoken on behalf of their candidates. In 2022, when Democrat Tony Evers and Republican Tim Michels were running against each other, Michels had a representative speak on his behalf after the debate.