Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez (D-WI) launched her gubernatorial bid less than a day after Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) announced he would not seek a third term.

Rodriguez is the first Democrat to enter the race, an expected move as she was previously floated as a likely candidate alongside former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, Attorney General Josh Kaul, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, former Wisconsin Democratic Party Chairman Ben Wikler, and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson. Rodriguez faces a tough battle to lead the state — following Evers’s bowing out, Sabato’s Crystal Ball changed the race from “lean Democratic” to a “toss-up.”

In her campaign announcement video, Rodriguez told her life story. She outlined her previous career as an ER nurse before returning to Wisconsin to help run a healthcare company. She insisted that she did not have previous political aspirations.

“Getting into politics was never part of my plan, but I saw a broken system and decided to do something about it,” she said, leading to a successful run for the state Assembly.

Rodriguez hinted at her campaign priorities by making her support for abortion access the first issue she discussed, followed by reductions in the cost of living. She then sought to position herself as a resistance hero by leading her pitch for governor by targeting President Donald Trump.

“First, we’ve got a maniac in the White House. His tariffs are killing our farmers, and his policies are hurting our kids,” she said, before moving on to healthcare access.

Her launch video also featured a brief shoutout to Evers, cementing her trajectory as the incumbent’s successor.

According to her campaign website, as lieutenant governor, Rodriguez has been at the “forefront of efforts to lower healthcare costs, defend reproductive rights, strengthen public education, support small businesses, and invest in rural communities.”

Though running on relatively progressive credentials, Trump carried Wisconsin in 2024 and 2016. Its status as one of the seven coveted swing states has given it outsize influence on national politics.

Evers was elected governor in 2018, defeating incumbent Republican Gov. Scott Walker by less than 30,000 votes. He widened that gap in 2022, defeating Republican challenger Tim Michels by a 90,000-vote margin.

On Thursday, Evers, 72, cited familial obligations as necessitating his retirement from public office.

“Here’s the truth: Wisconsin, the only thing I love more than being your governor is being a husband, a dad, and a grandpa,” Evers said in a video, adding, “It’s why, Wisconsin, I’m announcing that I will not be running for a third term.”

WISCONSIN GOV. TONY EVERS ANNOUNCES HE WILL NOT RUN FOR THIRD TERM

“I’m so humbled to be your governor,” he continued. “This is the best job I’ve ever had. And folks, we are not done yet. There is, as always, much work to do. And, Wisconsin, I’ll be working just as hard as I have for the last six years to keep doing the right thing and deliver for you.”

Two Republican candidates have already entered the race: Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann and New Berlin business owner Bill Berrien.