(CTN News) – Sara Rodriguez, the Democratic lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, is a candidate for the governorship of the battleground state of Wisconsin, and she entered the fiercely competitive race on Friday.

In an attempt to set herself apart from the other contenders in what is anticipated to be a fierce primary, Sara Rodriguez called President Donald Trump a “maniac.”

Another Democrat, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, said he “will be taking steps toward entering the race” in the coming weeks in a statement posted Friday.

The race for the 2026 Wisconsin gubernatorial election is open for the first time since 2010. This is because there isn’t an incumbent. Democratic Governor Tony Evers announced Thursday that he will not seek reelection to a third term.

Crowley and Sara Rodriguez could create history if elected.

Crowley would become the first woman to serve as governor of Wisconsin, and Sara Rodriguez, a former emergency department nurse, would become the first woman to serve as governor of Wisconsin. A significant number of other Democrats are expected to enter the race.

In the video released to launch his candidacy, Sara Rodriguez said, “We have a maniac in the White House.” His tariffs are destroying our industrial sector, and his policies are harming our children.

Since 2023, Lopez Rodriguez has held the position of lieutenant governor of the state. Before that, she represented the Milwaukee suburb where she currently resides in the state Assembly for two years. Her victory came in a contest for a seat that had been occupied by Republicans for a long period.

Rodriguez emphasized her experience throughout her presentation, which included her prior employment as a nurse at a Baltimore emergency department. She expressed her desire to carry on Evers’ focus on the importance of investing in public institutions, reviving the economy, and defending reproductive rights.

She specifically mentioned that the state legislature is controlled by the Democratic Party. This suggests that if the state elected a Democratic governor, Republicans would be able to implement policies that they have been blocking for years, including Medicaid expansion.

Sara Rodriguez has a nursing background and has worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as an administrative and epidemiological intelligence service officer. He is a licensed nurse as well. The degree she holds is a master’s in public health.

During a brief speech she gave on the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last year, Sara Rodriguez emphasized the value of health care, including protecting the right to an abortion. Sara Rodriguez, married with two children, announced her candidacy for public office on her 50th birthday.

Rodriguez claimed that she was inspired to get involved in politics by the way Republicans handled the COVID-19 pandemic during her initial run for office in 2020, when she was elected to the Legislature.

Nelson Barnes was the lieutenant governor during Evers’ first term.

In the meantime, Rodriguez emerged as the winner of the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor.

One of the Democrats contemplating a bid for governor in the upcoming year is Barnes, who lost to Republican Senator Ron Johnson in the previous election.

Those on the list are the following people:

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, Attorney General Josh Kaul, and Senator Kelda Roys. The only contenders announced for the Republican nomination are Bill Berrien, a shopkeeper from a Milwaukee suburb, and Josh Schoemann, the executive of Washington County.

Among those considering it are Mary Felzkowski, the president of the state Senate, and Representative Tom Tiffany of the United States of America.

SOURCE: AP