Rodriguez Suspends Her Campaign Amid Turmoil

Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez opens a rally for Minnesota Governor and Democratic VP nominee Tim Walz at Whitewater Music Hall in Wausau. MWC photo by Mike Leischner

MADISON, WI (WSAU) — Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez is no longer seeking the state’s highest office.

Rodriguez has suspended her campaign after a week of turmoil that began on Sunday with the firing of her campaign manager over irregularities in her finance reports. It was later discovered that some donations had been double-counted, and she actually had far less money on hand than previously thought.

On Wednesday, her reports showed just under $35,000 in cash on hand.

“As we have continued to dig into our financial reports, it has become clear that there are issues that would be an ongoing distraction – not just for this campaign, but for the primary and for Wisconsin. This race is too important to Wisconsin to let that happen,” said Rodriguez. “I got into this race because I wanted what was best for Wisconsin. That hasn’t changed. And because I believe that, I cannot in good conscience allow these questions to become a cloud over an election that Democrats need to win. Wisconsin deserves better than that.”

Rodriguez is also the subject of a complaint filed by the Wisconsin Federation of Republican Women over a $1,500 donation to the group. They claim her records show a donation to the group, though they never received the payment.

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Rodriguez had previously said she wouldn’t drop out of the race, saying the inaccuracies were not “disqualifying.” Though her Primary rivals, including former Democratic Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes and presumed Republican nominee Tom Tiffany, immediately used the moment to question her ability to handle the state’s finances.

The winner of the Democratic Primary will advance to the November ballot. The field currently includes State Representative Francesca Hong, State Senator Kelda Roys, Joel Brennan, and Barnes. In the last month, Rodriguez had received endorsements from former candidates David Crowley and Missy Hughes.