Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez is facing backlash after audio obtained by WISN 12 News revealed she plans to negotiate the state budget in secret if elected governor — a stark departure from the transparent, public-facing process currently used by Gov. Tony Evers.
“We are going to do our negotiations behind a curtain so that we are not doing a circular firing squad within the Democratic Party,” Rodriguez told Rock County Democrats at an April 16 campaign event in Janesville.
Rodriguez’s campaign walked back the framing, saying she was referring to building internal Democratic consensus during the transition period — not hiding the process from the public. “My commitment is simple: be ready on Day One as governor to deliver a state budget that reflects our values and priorities,” Rodriguez said in a statement.
But the damage was done. Rodriguez also acknowledged that moderate Democrats in competitive districts would need political cover, suggesting bundling controversial policies into a larger budget bill rather than forcing individual votes. “If we put it into the budget, it’s easier to vote for something that’s larger with multiple things within it than to individually try to pass distinct pieces of legislation that people can pick apart,” she said.
Even Evers’ own office pushed back. A spokesperson noted that “being a legislator is not the same as being the governor,” adding that Evers’ budget process includes hundreds of stakeholder meetings and more than 15 hours of lawmaker sessions before a proposal is ever introduced. “Some people may suggest that’s ‘too conciliatory,’ but Gov. Evers, who remains the most popular elected official in the state, calls it ‘getting shit done.'”
Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Tom Tiffany pounced. “You deserve transparency,” Tiffany posted on social media. “Listening sessions will be held across Wisconsin during the budget process. I won’t govern in secrecy.” (RELATED: Ousted Space Force Officer’s Story Goes Public in New Film)
The Republican Governors Association was equally blunt. Spokesperson Kollin Crompton called Rodriguez “a risk Wisconsin families cannot afford,” adding that “she even goes as far to say that moderate Democrats would need protection from her crazy ideas.”
Fellow Democratic candidates Kelda Roys and Joel Brennan also criticized Rodriguez on social media, suggesting the comments could haunt her in a crowded primary field. According to the most recent Marquette Law School poll, 65% of Democratic primary voters remain undecided, with Rodriguez polling at just 3%.
