Governor of WisconsinCertified ballot
Sara Rodriguez
Lieutenant Governor
Photo: Campaign website
Is Sara Rodriguez on the November 3 ballot?
Sara Rodriguez is not on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Governor of Wisconsin. This page is kept as a record of the August 11, 2026 primary.
ⓘ What do the party and ideology labels mean?
On the ballot, partisan candidates run under a party — in Wisconsin almost always Democratic or Republican, with the occasional third-party or independent candidate. Words like progressive, conservative, libertarian, or democratic socialist are labels people use to describe themselves, not separate parties on the ballot. A label is a starting point; each candidate's sourced positions show where they actually stand.
How we do this →Who is Sara Rodriguez?
Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin under Gov. Tony Evers; formerly represented portions of Waukesha and Milwaukee counties in the state Assembly; registered nurse; withdrew citing campaign finance reporting issues
Withdrew July 17, 2026 after discovering campaign finance mismanagement; campaign manager fired over unreported fundraising shortfall.
ⓘ How do I read these campaign-finance numbers?
Individual contributions come from people; PAC (political action committee) money comes from organized groups. Cash-on-hand is what a campaign has left to spend. Money shows who is backing a campaign — it is not an endorsement by us, and more money does not mean a candidate is better.
How we do this →Top reported contributors
- International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139 PAC (Pewaukee)$86,000
- WI PEOPLE Conference (Madison)$86,000
- Wisconsin Forward Fund. Inc. (Madison)$51,900
- Old Town Media (Fort Collins)$40,000
- Hans Dawson (Richfield)$20,000
Show 5 more
- Ronald D. Abramson (Washington)$20,000
- 313 PUBLIC AFFAI SALE (Washington)$20,000
- MARTIN J SCHREIBER (Milwaukee)$20,000
- Heidi Dawson (Hubertus)$20,000
- Lynde Uihlein (Port Washington)$20,000
Source: WI Ethics Commission (Sunshine) · non-commercial voter education use
Top organization & PAC donors
- International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139 PAC (Pewaukee)PAC/Committee$86,000
- WI PEOPLE Conference (Madison)PAC/Committee$86,000
- Wisconsin Forward Fund. Inc. (Madison)$51,900
- Old Town Media (Fort Collins)$40,000
- 313 PUBLIC AFFAI SALE (Washington)$20,000
Show 5 more
- Democracy Engine (Washington)$19,832
- Gusto (San Francisco)$15,729
- Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 400 COPE FUND SWEB ID #500330 (Kaukana)PAC/Committee$15,000
- GRP HEALTH RCVB GHC Prem 4458 (Madison)$13,389
- Michigan Blueprint (Grand Rapids)$10,395
Source: WI Ethics Commission (Sunshine) · non-commercial voter education use
Where the money comes from
| Individuals | 58% | $526,825 | 1529 donors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union PACs | 10% | $86,000 | 1 donors |
| PACs & committees | 11% | $101,350 | 4 donors |
| Businesses | 21% | $185,283 | 21 donors |
| Other | 0% | $1,004 | 4 donors |
11% from donations under $200 (1,033 donors)
- under $200$59,911 · 1,033 donors
- $200–$999$132,373 · 380 donors
- $1,000 and up$334,541 · 116 donors
Individual donors only, grouped by each donor's total
74% from Wisconsin
- Wisconsin$527,868 · 1,355 donors
- Out of state$184,205 · 194 donors
- Unknown$35 · 1 donors
Individuals and businesses; committees excluded
Monthly fundraising
| 2026-01 | $42,391 |
|---|---|
| 2026-02 | $67,350 |
| 2026-03 | $147,219 |
| 2026-04 | $34,135 |
| 2026-05 | $84,397 |
| 2026-06 | $189,186 |
| 2026-07 | $290,443 |
| 2026-08 | $45,308 |
Itemized contributions, filings through Sep 23, 2026 · Source: WI Ethics Commission (Sunshine)
Political ads about Sara Rodriguez
Ads a BadgerBrief editor confirmed are about Sara Rodriguez, from the Meta Ad Library. Spend is the range Meta discloses.
2 ads from 1 sponsor
- $10,500–$11,998
Wisconsin Forward Fund
Support for Sara Rodriguez2 adsSee the 2 ads
Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez knows what families are going through, because she's been there too. She'll always fight for Wisconsin families.
$7,000–$7,999View ad on Meta
It's a too familiar story. Families are doing everything right and yet they keep falling behind. Sara Rodriguez is fighting to make life more affordable for every Wisconsin family.
$3,500–$3,999View ad on Meta
In the news about Sara Rodriguez
Coverage a BadgerBrief editor reviewed and confirmed belongs here. We link out — we don’t summarize. How we handle coverage ↗
- Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez drops out of Wisconsin governor 2026 ↗2026-07-17Wisconsin Public Radio · news outlet · The outlet is funded through a combination of state appropriations, listener donations, and grants.Wisconsin Public Radio is owned by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin System, Board of Regents. source ↗
- Governor candidate Sara Rodriguez fires campaign head for finance inaccuracies ↗2026-07-13Milwaukee Journal Sentinel · news outletGannett
How this page was made
- Who made this
- Tarik Moody, in Milwaukee, independently. No ads, and no party, campaign or PAC money. Nobody has editorial input. About BadgerBrief
- How facts get in
- Ballot names come from the Wisconsin Elections Commission’s certified list, printed as you will see them. Votes are read from official roll calls; money from the Ethics Commission and the FEC. Positions and quotes appear only after a person checks each one against its source. Methodology
- Sources
- Last updated
- Not covered
- BadgerBrief does not rate, endorse or predict. Where a fact could not be sourced it is left out, not guessed. Local questions and city or village contests are on MyVote ↗.