Wisconsin governor candidate says her campaign has far less money than she thought

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Democratic candidate for governor Sara Rodriguez said Monday that she discovered her campaign has hundreds of thousands dollars less cash than she thought after campaign ads slated to run last week did not air because of unpaid invoices.

Rodriguez, the current lieutenant governor, announced late Sunday night that she had fired her campaign manager just a month before the Aug. 11 primary after discovering contributions had been double counted and expenses were undercounted, leading to her campaign having far less money than she thought.

Rodriguez, at a news conference surrounded by supporters, vowed to remain in the race while calling the issue a “bump in the road.”

“This campaign is going to move forward," she said in the appearance at her campaign headquarters.

Rodriguez is in a competitive primary for Wisconsin’s open governor’s race against democratic socialist Francesca Hong; former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes; state Sen. Kelda Roys and Joel Brennan, a former top aide to Gov. Tony Evers. Evers has not endorsed anyone in the primary.

The winner of the primary will advance to the general election against Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany, who faces only token primary opposition.

Barnes' campaign manager Darby O’Connor said a mistake like this is “unheard of in professional politics” and said "a campaign this poorly mismanaged stands no chance against Tom Tiffany this fall.”

Hong said in a statement that she was focused on her campaign, but "it’s vital that everyone running for this position is creating a standard of trust, honesty and accountability.”

Brennan called the errors by Rodriguez’s campaign “disqualifying.”

Roys spokesperson Jalen Knuteson said the issue contributed to a pattern showing that "Rodriguez is unprepared for the rigors of a general election or governing.”

Last week Rodriguez announced a $1 million television ad campaign buy. But when the ads didn't start running as expected, she said she began asking questions and discovered the problems in the campaign reports.

“I am hurt, angry and deeply disappointed by someone I trusted to run my campaign,” Rodriguez said of her fired campaign manager, Kara Spencer. “I was continually getting inaccurate reports from my campaign manager.”

Spencer did not return a message seeking comment.

Rodriguez's next report covering money raised and spent over the first six months of the year is due on Wednesday.

Rodriguez said her campaign immediately notified the Wisconsin Ethics Commission on Monday and was working with them to correct the report filed in January that covers donations and expenditures made last year.

The $618,000 she reported raising in 2025 was the second highest of any Democratic candidate, behind only Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley who brought in about $800,000. Crowley dropped out of the race last week and endorsed Rodriguez after she announced a $1 million campaign TV ad buy.

Another former Democratic candidate, former state economic development director Missy Hughes, endorsed Rodriguez after she ended her campaign last month.

Rodriguez said the ads that were supposed to start last week would begin airing next week. She would not say exactly how much her filing was off by because the work to reconcile the books was ongoing. But she said her campaign had raised about $1 million and had about $200,000 cash on hand.

Rodriguez said she was being up front about what happened.

“If I were trying to hide something I would be here today telling you about it," she said at the news conference. “Most people are not going to stand in front of this many cameras and microphones to talk about fixing an error.”

Democratic candidate for Wisconsin governor Sara Rodriguez speaks to supporters, Monday, July 13, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)

GUNNISON, Colo. (AP) — A helicopter helping fight a Colorado wildfire has crashed into a reservoir, killing the pilot, authorities said.

The aircraft was reported down Sunday in the Silver Jack Reservoir and the pilot's body was recovered by divers. The Gunnison County Sheriff's Office identified the pilot as 56-year-old Nicholas Dale of Sooke, British Columbia.

A procession of law enforcement vehicles carried Dale's body from Gunnison to Grand Junction on Monday. The convoy was greeted by residents who wanted to show their support for the pilot and the thousands of firefighters assigned to blazes burning across the West.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said state flags will fly at half-staff when a memorial service is scheduled for Dale, a contract pilot who leaves behind a wife and two children.

“We are committed to supporting our brave firefighters and their families, and the state stands ready to support any investigation into this tragic incident,” Polis said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft was a Kaman Aerospace K-1200 helicopter that “crashed under unknown circumstances, becoming inverted,” according to its preliminary report. Federal registration data shows the helicopter was owned by Georgia-based Helicopter Express, which has a fleet of nearly four dozen helicopters used for firefighting, heavy lifting and construction projects.

The company in a statement issued Monday confirmed Dale’s death.

"This is a heartbreaking loss for everyone at Helicopter Express and throughout the aerial firefighting community," the statement reads. “Nick’s dedication, professionalism, and commitment to protecting others will never be forgotten.”

The pilot, the only person on board, was assisting firefighters with the Gold Mountain Fire, which has grown to about 57 square miles (148 square kilometers) in southwestern Colorado. It was 11% contained as of Monday.

The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation, the FAA said in a statement.

Last week, wildland firefighters in Colorado gathered to pay tribute to three of their own who died after they were trapped by flames on the Colorado-Utah border.

Many large fires are still going strong across the West. They are scattered around Colorado, Utah and New Mexico while there are wildfires in eight other states — from Alaska to Arizona.

Prolonged hot and dry conditions this week will bring fire weather concerns, the National Weather Service said.

Firefighters drive along Highway 550 as they try to access the Gold Mountain Fire on the town line of Ouray and Ridgeway, Colo., on Sunday, June 28, 2026. (Michael Seamans/The Gazette via AP)