WISCONSIN—In case you missed it, a recent WisPolitics opinion column by longtime political observer Bill Kaplan points to Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez as the “best positioned among all Democratic candidates to run statewide and win in November.”
Kaplan notes Rodriguez’s statewide strength and her ability to connect with voters across rural, suburban, and urban communities, highlighting that she has already visited all 72 Wisconsin counties. Rodriguez, a former emergency room nurse, CDC officer, health care executive, and state legislator, is running for governor on a platform focused on lowering costs – from health care and housing to child care and utilities.
Bill Kaplan: Wisconsin political leaders to watch 2026
by Bill Kaplan, published in WisPolitics, Jan. 5, 2025
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“Wisconsin will need capable, wise political leaders in 2026 to navigate these treacherous shoals: Rebecca Cooke, Democratic challenger to 3rd Congressional District (CD) GOP Representative Derrick Van Orden; Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson and Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez, Democratic candidate for governor. All three embody the life experience, common sense, principles and wisdom to help solve Wisconsin’s problems and counter the destructive tsunami from Washington.”
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“Finally, there’s Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, running for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Watch her announcement video. Like Cooke she’s from a military, working class family with moxie, drive and smarts. Rodriguez is best positioned among all Democratic candidates to run statewide and win in November. She has already visited all 72 Wisconsin counties. Rodriguez is taking off.”
