Sara Rodriguez drops out of Wisconsin governor race
Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez has suspended her campaign for governor after finance turmoil following the firing of her campaign manager. Rodriguez said ongoing reporting problems would distract the Democratic primary and Wisconsin. Four Democrats remain in the race ahead of the Aug. 11 primary.
Key Takeaways
- Sara Rodriguez suspended her Wisconsin governor bid on Friday amid campaign finance turmoil.
- She fired campaign manager Kara Spencer days earlier over double-counted donations and inaccurate filings.
- A Thursday finance report showed under $35,000 cash on hand and more than $150,000 in outstanding obligations.
- Mandela Barnes, Joel Brennan, Francesca Hong, and Kelda Roys remain in the Democratic primary.
- The Aug. 11 primary winner is expected to face Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany in November.
Why did Sara Rodriguez leave the governor race?
According to WLUK reporting, Rodriguez dropped out after revelations of alleged financial mismanagement by her campaign manager. In a Friday statement, she said further review of the books made clear the problems would be an ongoing distraction for her campaign, the primary, and Wisconsin.
"This race is too important to Wisconsin to let that happen," Rodriguez said. She added that she could not in good conscience let the questions become a cloud over an election Democrats need to win, saying Wisconsin deserves better than that.
What went wrong with Sara Rodriguez campaign finances?
Rodriguez fired Kara Spencer on Monday after discovering serious mismanagement in campaign finance filings. The suspension came four days after that firing. Contributions had been double-counted and expenses undercounted, leaving the campaign with hundreds of thousands of dollars less cash than she thought.
The cash gap became visible when campaign ads slated to run last week did not air because of unpaid invoices. A finance report released Thursday showed just under $35,000 cash on hand and more than $150,000 in outstanding obligations, according to news8000.com coverage.
Who is still running after Sara Rodriguez dropped out?
Rodriguez's exit leaves four Democrats contesting the Aug. 11 primary: former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes; Joel Brennan, a former top aide to Gov. Tony Evers; State Rep. Francesca Hong; and State Sen. Kelda Roys. The primary winner is expected to face presumptive Republican nominee U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in the Nov. 3 general election.
The late shake-up narrows the Democratic field in the final weeks before primary voters decide. For more BlasterPost coverage across trending desks, see Future Tech & AI Wonders.