Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez Visits Eau Claire As Open Race For Governor Heats Up
Wisconsin's first open gubernatorial race since 2010 draws numerous candidates from both major parties
Although it began quietly, the Wisconsin race for governor has heated up exponentially in the past couple of weeks. Since Sept. 15, five new candidates have thrown their hats into the ring.
Following Gov. Tony Evers’ announcement that he will not be running for a third term, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez became the first Democrat to announce a campaign for the role (Washington County's Josh Schoemann, a Republican, was the first candidate to join the race).
Rodriguez visited Lazy Monk Brewing in Eau Claire on Monday, Sept. 15 as part of her ongoing tour through the state.
Rodriguez reflected on her background as a working class mother, wife of an immigrant, and a former emergency room nurse. She said her goal during the tour is to listen to Wisconsin voters and discuss their needs from the government.
“I think what I bring to this race is that I have statewide experience in elected office,” Rodriguez said. “But I have a lot of experience outside of that — I was a top executive for a healthcare company as well as vice president within a Fortune 100 company. I think that balance between private industry experience and elected office is what people are looking for.”
One Eau Claire resident asked about Rodriguez’s vision for the future of higher education in Wisconsin in the midst of federal budget cuts.
“In terms of where we are nationally for university funding, Wisconsin is near the bottom,” Rodriguez said. “I want to get us to the median or above in terms of supporting our universities, working with our technical college system so we have multiple pathways for folks to get the degrees they need.”
The Lt. Gov. also referenced the loss of international students — a result from recent federal immigration issues and funding cuts to scientific research efforts.
“If you were in another country right now and you were thinking about where to send your child for college, would that not give you a pause?” she said. “On top of losing that talent, we’re also having students who earn their PhDs and choose to leave the country and do research elsewhere.”
Gloria Hochstein, vice chair of the Eau Claire County Democratic Party, asked Rodriguez what her plans would include regarding rural healthcare. Rodriguez said she hopes to “shore up” the funding for rural healthcare using state funding, as the federal government has not been providing the necessary support.
Eau Claire City Councilman Larry Mboga, the first local politician to endorse Rodriguez, joined her at the event and spoke in a later conversation on his confidence in her as a candidate.
“I don’t think the other democrats are bad candidates,” Mboga said. “But Sara is one heartbeat from the governor. She’s been tested in state elections and won.”
Mboga said the main issues he is concerned about are the City’s finances and the financial struggles of working class citizens in Eau Claire. He said he hopes to see some of the statewide shared revenue re-allocated to fund benefits for folks in Eau Claire.
Mboga also said he agrees with Rodriguez about the need to address climate issues like the presence of PFAS, or forever chemicals, which are contaminating Eau Claire drinking water.
Rodriguez noted other critical races coming up for Wisconsin as well.
“We have an opportunity to flip the state Senate,” Rodriguez said. “Flip the state assembly. Keep the governor seat. That's a trifecta we have not had in many, many years. We can do the things that Wisconsin wants us to do — things that allow families not just to survive, but thrive.”
Democrats in the running so far
Rodriguez is running alongside four other Democrats: Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, state Senator Kelda Roys, state Representative Francesca Hong, former state Representative Brett Hulsey., and as of Sept. 29, former secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. Missy Hughes.
Crowley, Milwaukee’s top elected official and former state Assembly member, is vying to be the state’s first Black governor. He told the Associated Press he “wants to be a ‘governor for all of us,’ focusing on lowering costs for families, affordable healthcare and housing and fully funding public schools.”
Roys, who came in third during the 2018 race for governor after serving in the state Assembly, is an attorney and small business owner who represents the city of Madison in the state Senate. In a recent interview, she said her number one priority is helping working class families struggling to make ends meet.
Hong, a state lawmaker also from Madison, said she likes to consider herself the “wild card” of the race. She is a single mother and works multiple food service jobs alongside her state Assembly duties. (Hong is one of four state Assembly Democrats part of the Socialist Caucus).
Hulsey, a business owner and former educator, announced his campaign on Sept. 24. He previously served in the state Assembly for four years. “I am running for governor to make Wisconsin better for my family and yours. My grandkids and yours deserve the best schools, roads and clean lakes and beaches,” Hulsey stated in a recent media release.
Republicans in the running so far
Three Republicans have also entered the gubernatorial race. Currently, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann, and U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany are in the running for the Republican slot at the August 2026 primary.
According to PBS, Schoemann was the first candidate to join the race. He is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and CEO of Pindel Global Precision and Liberty Precision in New Berlin. As stated on his campaign website, Schoemann wants to cut government waste, promote mental and physical health for veterans first responders, and end "woke overreach" in education.
On Sept. 23, Rep. Tiffany – Wisconsin’s 7th district representative since 2020 – announced his gubernatorial campaign. One day later, on Sept. 24, Tiffany told WEAU-13 News his previous joint finance committee experience sets him up well to balance the state's budget. That week, Tiffany stated on X that he’d “make Wisconsin a shining star in America.”
Milwaukee business owner Bill Berrien, a Navy SEAL veteran, was in the running (his first time running for office) for several months before suspending his campaign. Reports by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Associated Press found the candidate following sexually explicit online accounts ahead of a scheduled GOP appearance on Sept. 25, which he cancelled. Berrien announced the end of his campaign on Sept. 26.
Fred Kappus, chair of the Republican Party of Eau Claire County, said while his organization doesn't endorse candidates, he disagrees with Gov. Evers’ policies and feels Wisconsin needs “a good conservative leader to get us back on track.”
Wisconsin’s partisan primary election will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. The next governor of the state will be voted for on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.
This article was originally published in The Spectator, UW-Eau Claire's student newspaper, on Sept. 25. It was edited and updated for publication in Volume One. To learn more about the forthcoming election and to find your polling location in Wisconsin, visit myvote.wi.gov. Additional information about each candidate can be found on their respective campaign websites.
