In a humiliating collapse just weeks before the August 11 Democratic primary, Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez (D) has DROPPED OUT of the race for governor.
Rodriguez announced her exit Friday morning, July 17, admitting that the campaign finance scandal rocking her bid had become an “ongoing distraction” she could no longer afford to carry into the primary or the general election Democrats desperately want to win.
A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel review of Rodriguez’s January campaign finance report found more than $100,000 in apparent duplicate contributions, the same donor listed as giving the exact same amount on the exact same day, sometimes twice in one entry.
Other reviews put the overstated totals even higher, with one analysis identifying more than $275,000 in duplicate donations in December alone.
The report itself was filed late, at 2:13 a.m. on January 16, hours after the deadline, then amended twice in the early morning hours at 3:23 a.m. and again at 5:01 a.m.
Rodriguez had been telling donors and the public she had the resources for a $1 million ad buy. She reportedly believed her campaign had around $1.5 million on hand. Reality hit hard: after the errors were uncovered, her campaign had only about $200,000 in cash on hand.
Rodriguez held a Monday press conference where she called the fiasco a “bump in the road,” claimed she was taking swift accountability by firing her longtime campaign manager, Kara Spencer, in a desperate bid to shift blame and contacting the Wisconsin Ethics Commission to file amended reports, and insisted voters shouldn’t worry about her ability to manage the state’s $111+ billion biennial budget.
That spin didn’t hold. By Friday, she was gone.
Rodriguez: I want to start by thanking my family and every single person who showed up for this campaign over the past week. Your support has meant more than I can put into words.
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 let that happen.
I am deeply hurt and betrayed by what happened.
As I said on Monday, part of being a leader is taking swift action, doing the right thing, and being as honest as possible when there’s a problem.
I got into this race because I wanted what was best for Wisconsin, and 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.
This was never just about any one race or any one candidate. This is about protecting Wisconsin from a legislature hellbent on putting corporations over schools and insurance companies over patients. It’s about showing the rest of the country that we can win here, govern here, and fight for the middle class, and that Wisconsin will lead the way.
To everyone who showed up, knocked doors, made calls, and believed in what we were building, please don’t stop.
Wisconsin has always been a place of resilience, where everyday citizens show up and accomplish extraordinary things.
Better days are ahead because of people like you.
Let’s keep fighting. I’ll be right there with you.
WATCH:
Today I’m suspending my campaign. Thank you to everyone who believed and showed up for this campaign. Let’s keep fighting – together – to protect the Wisconsin we love. pic.twitter.com/177LrrLD56
— Sara Rodriguez (@saraforwi) July 17, 2026
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