Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez ended her candidacy for governor on Friday, upending a closely watched race in a swing state.

Rodriguez, a Democrat, was considered the establishment favorite to win the party's nomination, and some Democrats fear her exit could open the door for democratic socialist Francesca Hong to win the primary, according to The New York Times.

The lieutenant governor said she was dropping out of the race after discovering a shortfall of $1 million in her campaign coffers.

Her campaign manager had inflated how much the campaign had raised by double-counting contributions and not reporting certain expenses that had been paid, Rodriguez said.

"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," Rodriguez said in a statement on Friday.

"This race is too important to let that happen," Rodriguez said.

The lieutenant governor said she was "deeply hurt and betrayed" by what happened and fired her campaign manager.

Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., is the favorite on the GOP side. Gov. Tony Evers is not seeking reelection.

Other Democrats running include Mandela Barnes, a former lieutenant governor who lost a Senate race in 2022; state Sen. Kelda Roys; and Joel Brennan, a former state official.

Barnes encouraged 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 in a statement. "It's time for all of us to come together to beat Tom Tiffany."

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper, lists the race as "Toss Up."