Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez withdraws from the governor’s race following the discovery of significant financial reporting inaccuracies.
Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez announced her withdrawal from the governor’s race on Friday after her campaign identified serious mismanagement in its financial reports. The errors included duplicated contributions that inflated the campaign's total funds, leading to the firing of campaign manager Kara Spencer. Rodriguez noted that the inaccuracies were a significant distraction that could cloud the Democratic primary. The discovery revealed that the campaign had only $200,000 in cash on hand. Her exit leaves the Democratic field wide open, with several opponents calling for her to step down. The primary winner will likely face Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany in the general election. Tiffany, who is backed by President Trump, used the shakeup to highlight the potential radicalism of remaining candidates. While some Democrats are considering bringing back former Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley to the race, others are looking toward state Rep. Francesca Hong or former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes to lead the party in the swing state.