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MILWAUKEE - Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez suspended her campaign for Wisconsin governor, days after firing her campaign manager due to inflated finance report numbers, on Friday.
Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez
Finance report issues
The backstory:
On Monday, Rodriguez said a campaign finance report double-counted some donations and failed to include certain expenses – making it look like her campaign had more money than it actually did.
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Rodriguez previously said she had roughly $200,000 in the bank, hundreds of thousands less than expected. It meant a $1 million ad buy her campaign had previously announced did not happen.
Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez campaign finance errors, impact on race
The primary for Wisconsin governor is set for Aug. 11, but with absentee ballots already in the mail, there’s still big questions about a candidate who revealed her earlier campaign finance documents included bogus numbers.
Dig deeper:
FOX6 News reviewed her campaign filing from January, which was filed hours after the January 15 deadline and was amended twice hours later.
The review found dozens of donors appeared to have repeat donations, meaning the person gave the same amount of money twice on the same day. But in nearly all cases, the entries had minor differences: either the formatting of the name might have had an extra space or a middle initial, while the second entry didn’t, or, a ZIP code would have five digits and the second entry would have the longer nine-digit ZIP code.
The campaign finance problems continued with the July report, which was due Wednesday. The campaign submitted an original and amended report, showing two different numbers for cash in the bank: $34,990.69 or $643,206.64.
Rodriguez suspends campaign
What they're saying:
In the initial statement the campaign sent to FOX6, Rodriguez didn't official say she was suspending her campaign. But in an updated post on social media, she made it official.
"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," Rodriguez wrote on X.
In the initial written statement, Rodriguez wrote:
"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 Wisconsin 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. 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 hell-bent 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 - don't stop. Wisconsin has always been a place of resilience, where every day 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."
What does it mean for the primary?
Big picture view:
Seven Democrats will still be on the ballot, though three have now suspended their campaigns: Sara Rodriguez, David Crowley and Missy Hughes. The Mandela Barnes, Francesca Hong, Joel Brennan and Kelda Roys campaigns remain active.
Crowley and Hughes had endorsed Rodriguez after suspending their own campaigns, while the Brennan, Barnes and Roys campaigns voiced criticism of the lieutenant governor after news of the finance report issues became public.
Could Crowley reenter the race?
Dig deeper:
Three highly-placed Democratic sources told FOX6 News there was a very real conversation mid-week that Crowley could consider reentering the race. At that time, sources said Crowley was not planning to get back in.
In light of the Rodriguez decision, sources told FOX6 that Crowley is reconsidering getting back into the race. On Friday, one source said part of the discussion was whether Gov. Tony Evers would consider endorsing Crowley.
"He's strongly considering it, but nothing official," one source said.
Hughes, who like Crowley had endorsed Rodriguez after suspending her own campaign, took to social media on Friday urging Crowley to "get back in this race" in light of Rodriguez's campaign suspension.
When is the election?
What's next:
Wisconsin's partisan primary election is set for Tuesday, Aug. 11. The general election will be Tuesday, Nov. 3.
U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany has already received the Republican Party of Wisconsin's endorsement in the race for governor.
Editor's note: This story was updated to include additional information about Wisconsin's gubernatorial race.
The Source: Information in this story is from a statement Rodriguez issued and prior coverage of her campaign and the gubernatorial election.