Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez announced Friday that she is ending her bid for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, saying that ongoing financial problems within her campaign would serve as too great a distraction to continue.
The decision follows a turbulent stretch for Rodriguez, who had been considered a prominent establishment Democrat from the Milwaukee suburbs — a key region in the battleground state. Earlier this week, she let go of her campaign manager after it was discovered that the campaign had hundreds of thousands of dollars less available than she had been led to believe.
Rodriguez addressed the situation directly in a social media post Friday. “As we have continued to dig into our financial reports, it has become clear there are issues that would be an ongoing distraction,” she wrote. “Part of being a leader is taking swift action, doing the right thing and being as honest as possible when there’s a problem.”
She went on to explain her reasoning for stepping aside entirely. “And because I believe that, I cannot, in good conscience, allow these questions to become a cloud over an election Democrats need to win,” she added.
The timing is significant — the Wisconsin Democratic primary is scheduled for August 11, less than a month away. Voters will be selecting a candidate to replace Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat who chose not to pursue a third term in office.
Rodriguez had received the endorsement of Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley after he withdrew from the race on July 8. The remaining Democratic field includes democratic socialist Francesca Hong, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, and several other candidates.
