Podcast Summary: The MeidasTouch Podcast

Episode: Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez on Wisconsin Governor’s Race
Date: February 17, 2026
Host: MeidasTouch Network (Ben, Brett & Jordy Meiselas)
Featured Guest: Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez

Overview

This episode dives into the upcoming Wisconsin Governor’s race, focusing on current Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez, a registered nurse and Democratic candidate. The conversation explores Wisconsin’s pressing political and economic issues—including healthcare, farm industry turmoil under Trump-era policies, and rising right-wing extremism—while highlighting Rodriguez’s policy vision and personal journey.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Economic & Political State of Wisconsin (03:00–09:00)

• Hosts outline the dire state of Trump’s polling in Wisconsin:
  • “Donald Trump is getting some new polling data fresh out of places like Wisconsin where his approval is at all time lows… net negative 19.4%.” (03:00)
• Trump-era policies’ damage is detailed:
  • Explosive job loss due to economic mismanagement, including the closure of Cargill Meat Solutions in Milwaukee.
  • Trump’s environmental rollbacks are cited as causing both job and health loss.
  • Trump’s attacks on universities and resulting decline in international students.
  • Bipartisan agricultural leadership pens public letter detailing the farm sector’s devastation under Trump’s tariffs and trade wars, doubly harming rural Wisconsin.
  • “Farmer bankruptcies have doubled. Barely half of all farms will be profitable this year and the US is running a historic agriculture trade deficit.” (08:40–09:10)
  • Bipartisan leaders call for exempting farm inputs from tariffs, restoring agricultural research funding, and farm labor reform.

2. Healthcare Crisis: A Direct Wisconsin Concern (11:54–13:55)

• Sarah Rodriguez introduces herself as a nurse and healthcare expert:
  • “I’m a nurse by background. I have spent my entire career in health care. I ran for office because I was so disappointed in the COVID response here in Wisconsin.” (11:54)
• Rising healthcare costs and declining access:
  • Small business owners cannot afford insurance premiums without subsidies.
  • Real stories: Wisconsinites forgo medical care and risk death due to cost.
  • “People are really scared right now about what’s happening within healthcare... They’re just holding on and crossing their fingers and hoping that they’re going to be okay.” (12:03–12:18)
• Personal anecdote:
  • Rodriguez shares a story about an uninsured, single father with serious illness leaving the hospital against medical advice because he couldn’t afford to stay.
  • “I was an emergency room nurse prior to the Affordable Care Act… He left AMA because he said he couldn’t afford to miss work, and there was no way he could afford a hospital stay because he didn’t have the insurance.” (13:40–13:56)

3. Attacks on Nurses and Public Education (14:59–16:44)

• The Trump administration dismissing nursing as a profession:
  • “I could not believe it when they came out and said nurses were not a profession. I mean, come on. Right? … It was so rude and honestly, shockingly stupid for them to do this because we already have a nursing shortage.” (16:03)
• Discussion of broader right-wing efforts to undercut educational and professional standards, further damaging public health systems.

4. The Governor’s Race: Rodriguez’s Vision and Electability (16:44–18:03)

• Rodriguez positions herself as uniquely qualified to address Wisconsin’s complex healthcare needs and win a general election:
  • “Number one, I think this is going to be a health care election. And to have somebody like myself who’s worked within healthcare for decades, I think that’s going to be a plus…” (17:05)
  • Points out her ability to win in conservative districts, referencing her own “red to blue” victory in Waukesha county.
  • “We need someone who can speak to the entire state and make sure we do not have a Republican governor.” (17:25)

5. ICE Raids, Civil Rights, and Defending Democracy (18:03–20:23)

• Discussion about Rodriguez’s stance on ICE raids, civil liberties, and how she clarified a recent misstatement:
  • “I was actually the first primary candidate here in Wisconsin to issue a statement and a plan on how we could proactively defend ourselves against these lawless ICE agents…” (19:27)
• Advocates for clear identification for federal agents, mandatory body cameras, restrictions on raids in sensitive places, and requiring judicial warrants.
  • “They should not be doing raids in places like churches, schools, healthcare systems, courthouses—any place where people actually need to access services…” (19:48)
• She frames the stakes as existential for democracy:
  • “This is an existential moment... People don’t view this as politics as normal. They see a fascist regime that is invading states and doing it unconstitutionally.” (18:38–18:52)

6. Closing Thoughts & Vision for Leadership (20:42–21:13)

• Rodriguez draws on the trust invested in nurses:
  • “Politicians aren’t so trusted right now, but nurses are. And I think that this is a way that we can have leadership where we can get more trust in government.” (20:42)
• Directs listeners to her campaign website and emphasizes her approach to restoring faith in state governance.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ben Meiselas on Wisconsin’s rejection of Trump:
  “[The] people in Wisconsin… are livid at Donald Trump’s lies, his cover up… his provoking more wars… and just the grift from he and his right-wing oligarchs.” (04:00)
• Rodriguez on frontline medical realities:
  “They know that their healthcare bills are increasing. They know that their premiums have gone up exponentially… things that could have been solved earlier with a primary care visit… now become emergencies because they’re not able to access the care that they need.” (13:55)
• Rodriguez on being a nurse in office:
  “We are able to take care of so many different people across the healthcare system. Anybody who’s accessed the healthcare system knows how much nurses care and how much work we do…” (16:10)
• Rodriguez’s sharp rebuke of Trump-backed rhetoric:
  “So it was so rude and honestly, shockingly stupid for them to do this because we already have a nursing shortage.” (16:21)
• Rodriguez’s closing pitch:
  “Politicians aren’t so trusted right now, but nurses are. And I think that this is a way that we can have leadership where we can get more trust in government.” (20:42)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Economic Damage to Wisconsin: 03:00–09:00
• Farmers’ Bipartisan Letter Against Trump Policies: 07:00–09:30
• Rodriguez on Healthcare Crisis: 11:54–13:55
• Personal Story from Emergency Room: 13:40
• Nursing and Education Under Attack: 14:59–16:44
• Governor’s Race Strategy: 17:05–18:03
• ICE Raids & Civil Rights: 18:03–20:23
• Closing Call to Action: 20:42–21:13

Final Thoughts

This episode is a focused look at the state-by-state impact of national policies, told through the lens of Wisconsin’s upcoming gubernatorial election. Sara Rodriguez positions herself as a uniquely qualified candidate with professional healthcare experience and a track record of bipartisan appeal. The discussion is urgent, candid, and fiercely supportive of democracy, offering both policy detail and personal narrative.

Listeners unfamiliar with Wisconsin politics will leave with a clear picture of the stakes, the players, and the sharp differences between candidates—especially when it comes to defending healthcare, democracy, and basic human rights.