- Hello, my name is Sara Rodriguez,
and I'm running to be the next lieutenant governor
for the great state of Wisconsin.
For those who don't know me, I'm a mom, wife, nurse,
small business owner, and member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.
I've dedicated my life to service.
For decades, I've worked in health care,
whether that's as a Peace Corps volunteer
working on HIV/AIDS and reproductive health,
all the way to being a health care executive,
where I manage multi-million dollar budgets and large teams.
But at my core, I am a public health nurse.
And that's the lens that I wanna bring
to the office of the lieutenant governor.
And that's one of investment in our kids
and communities and one of prevention.
As a clinician, I know that the medication we give you,
the procedures that we do, it's such a tiny fraction
of how healthy we are.
What really makes us healthy is where we live,
the air we breathe, the water we drink,
and whether we've got a good-paying job
to put food on the table
and to actually pay for those medications.
Before I ever thought about a career in politics,
I was an advocate for smart policy
that saves lives and improves livelihoods.
I worked to address chronic disease
for a state health care agency,
and I was 1 of only 70 health care professionals
chosen to be an epidemic intelligence service officer
with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
I led national and international outbreak investigations.
My first call to service was health care.
My second call to service was to run for office.
I currently represent District 13 within the Assembly.
That includes the western suburbs of Milwaukee,
and I live in Waukesha County.
Representing a purple swing district,
I know that there is so much more that unites us
than divides us.
Governor Evers and I are the only candidates
for governor and lieutenant governor who are pro-choice.
As a health care professional,
I know that the U.S. Supreme Court decision
puts real lives at risk.
But voters should be able to decide
what is best for our state.
As your lieutenant governor,
I will never stop fighting to protect every Wisconsinite
and to make sure they can make their own health care decisions
without the interference of politicians.
Governor Evers and I wanna do the right thing
for our communities and make sure
every Wisconsinite feels safe where they live, work, and play.
As a mom and community leader,
making sure all our kids are safe at school
and in our communities is one of my top priorities.
I voted against legislation
that would have shielded gun manufacturers
from civil liabilities over gun violence
and also voted against a bill
that would've permitted guns on school grounds.
I supported the governor's budget,
which included resources for local municipalities
to have the money they need for law enforcement,
first responders, and more.
I will also continue to fight
for common sense gun safety reform
and for mental health and addiction treatment.
As lieutenant governor,
I wanna ensure that families are able to pay for what they need
without worrying about rising costs.
I am proud to be running alongside Governor Evers,
who has fought to lower costs
by cutting taxes for working families,
small businesses, and family farms.
And banning price gouging on gas and baby formula
to protect our most vulnerable.
Governor Evers and I plan to continue to do the right thing
for working families with an additional 10% tax cut
and child and dependent tax care credits
and support for small businesses,
ensuring every Wisconsinite gets to keep more
of their hard-earned money.
Thank you so much for taking the time to get to know about me
and our campaign.
You can learn more about me at saraforwi.com
I hope I can earn your trust, your support, and your vote
on Tuesday, November 8.