MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez's campaign for governor will receive a significant financial boost as the Democratic primary field continues to grow.
The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association announced it will invest $2 million next year through an independent expenditure to support Rodriguez's gubernatorial bid.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Meet Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, the first Democrat in the 2026 governor's race
Rodriguez, who currently serves as the state's lieutenant governor, was the first candidate to enter the race after Gov. Tony Evers announced he would not seek a third term.
"We believe in Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez's ability to positively impact Wisconsin so much that we are committing to spend $2 million on her behalf to ensure that she wins the Democratic nomination for governor," said Kevin Holst, DLGA executive director.
Rodriguez has been in politics since winning a state Assembly seat in 2020. One term later, she was elected lieutenant governor. The Brookfield East High School graduate has a master's degree in nursing and served as a vice president in the health care field.
Watch previous coverage: Meet Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, the first Democrat in the 2026 governor's race
"It hasn't always been that you've had people who are incredibly successful in the private sector, like Sara Rodriguez, who has been helping to run one of the Midwest's largest health care systems, being an executive of a Fortune 100 company, stepping up to run for state-level office," Holst said.
Wisconsin has not elected a lieutenant governor to governor since Democrat Patrick Lucey accomplished the feat in 1965 — 60 years ago. Holst believes the times are different and so are the candidates. He points to other Democrats who have made the move, like Gavin Newsom in California and Kathy Hochul in New York.
His organization has made previous investments in races for lieutenant governor or governor in Delaware, North Carolina, and Virginia.
"This is going to be a long campaign. It's a crowded field, but we want to make sure that everyone knows that we have Sara Rodriguez's back," Holst said.
The primary is scheduled for Aug. 11, 2026.
The DLGA announcement comes after Missy Hughes, Evers' former secretary and CEO of economic development, jumped into the race this week. Her campaign said it raised $207,000 in the first 24 hours.
There are now four women in the Democratic primary. Rep. Francesca Hong and state Sen. Kelda Roys are the other two candidates.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley is also running. Lesser-known names include Zach Roper and Ryan Strnad.
Republican candidates include Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann and U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany. Schoemann was the first gubernatorial candidate to jump into the race in April. His campaign said it raised $420,000 in the first two months.
Tiffany entered the race in late September. He served in the state Legislature for 10 years before winning a congressional seat in 2020.
This story was reported by Charles Benson and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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