Sara Rodriguez, Lieutenant Governor, Quits Wisconsin Governor’s Race

Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor was turned on its head on Friday as one high-profile candidate from the party’s establishment wing exited the race and another rejoined it.

Early in the day, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropped out, citing problems with her campaign’s financial reports. By evening, David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, signaled his plans to get back in the race, from which he had withdrawn just last week amid poor poll numbers.

The change in candidates was the latest rupture in a crowded contest to replace Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat who is not running for re-election in the closely divided state.

Some more moderate Democrats in Wisconsin have watched the primary with growing trepidation, worried that the winner in August could be State Representative Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist who has excited voters on the party’s left flank.

If Ms. Hong, a chef from the liberal capital city of Madison, wins the Democratic nomination, some in the party fear it could send the votes of moderates to Republicans in November. Representative Tom Tiffany, who is running with President Trump’s endorsement, is the likely Republican nominee.

The reappearance of Mr. Crowley could change that calculation, especially if some of Wisconsin’s best-known Democrats coalesce around his campaign.

Mr. Crowley, who had endorsed Ms. Rodriguez when he withdrew last week, said on his campaign website on Friday that he would hold a rally in Milwaukee on Saturday morning. He invited people to come “hear what’s next.”

Though Mr. Crowley’s post stopped short of specifics, a spokesman said he was going to re-enter the race.

“My campaign for governor was never about one person,” Mr. Crowley’s post said. “It was about a shared belief that Wisconsin deserves leadership that shows up, tells the truth and gets things done for working families.”

Other remaining Democratic candidates include Mandela Barnes, a former lieutenant governor; Kelda Roys, a state senator; and Joel Brennan, a former state official.

Mr. Crowley’s re-emergence comes after the swift political downfall of Ms. Rodriguez, who had been seen as the leading establishment candidate. Days ago, Ms. Rodriguez disclosed that she had fired her campaign manager after discovering a shortfall of more than $1 million.

“As we have continued to dig into our financial reports, it has become clear that there are issues that would be an ongoing distraction — not just for this campaign, but for the primary and for Wisconsin,” Ms. Rodriguez said in a statement on Friday. “This race is too important to let that happen.”

She added that she was “deeply hurt and betrayed” by the turn of events.

Ms. Rodriguez’s sudden departure left Democrats in Wisconsin scrambling to understand the new contours of the race, less than four weeks before the primary on Aug. 11.

Her departure could also provide an opening for Mr. Barnes, who is well known to Democratic voters. It could also be an opportunity for Ms. Hong to expand her left-wing base, as she has highlighted her background in restaurants and promised to address affordability and the cost of health care in Wisconsin.

But whether a democratic socialist can beat a Republican in a narrowly divided state like Wisconsin — where elections are often decided by a percentage point or two — is an open question.

Republicans appear eager to compete with Ms. Hong in the general election. A super PAC tied to Republicans is running a new 30-second ad about Ms. Hong, which criticizes her for being too liberal — an apparent attempt to make her more appealing to Democratic primary voters.

Mr. Barnes’s electability has also raised concerns from Democrats who have pointed to his loss in a statewide election in 2022. In that race for the U.S. Senate, Mr. Barnes lost to Ron Johnson, a Republican.

In a statement, Mr. Barnes urged Ms. Rodriguez’s supporters to vote for him. “For all those who believed in Sara’s resolve to make life better, there’s a place for you in my campaign,” he said. “It’s time for all of us to come together to beat Tom Tiffany.”

Local Democratic officials said that the race was still far from settled.

Paul Hambleton, chair of the St. Croix County Democrats, was at the county fair on Friday, talking to Democrats at the party’s booth. He said that he had chatted with voters who were sympathetic to Ms. Hong’s worldview as a democratic socialist but added that her views would be a harder sell in other parts of the state.

After hearing that Ms. Rodriguez was out of the race, he started delivering a simple message for flummoxed Democrats: Don’t vote yet.

“We’ve got a few weeks and it’s wide open right now,” Mr. Hambleton said. “I wish it was less chaotic and I wish there was a cohesive message at this point. But this is up to the voters.”