Mandela Barnes Withdraws from Wisconsin Governor’s Race

Mandela Barnes has exited the Democratic primary race for Wisconsin governor. This announcement, made via a video on his Facebook page, has added further changes to the race with the election approaching on August 11. Barnes, the former lieutenant governor, made this decision following a Marquette Law School poll showing strong support for democratic socialist Francesca Hong.

Hong currently leads the primary contest by a large margin. However, approximately one-third of voters remain undecided. Barnes stated, “It’s become very clear who our nominee is going to be.” He is the third Democratic candidate to step back from the race, joining Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez and former economic development director Missy Hughes, who withdrew earlier amidst separate challenges.

Following Rodriguez’s exit from the race, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley re-entered with Governor Tony Evers’ endorsement. Crowley has actively appealed to Barnes’ followers, expressing on social media, “There’s a place for you in what we’re building.” Governor Evers supported Crowley, citing his collaboration with Republican lawmakers on funding community initiatives.

Evers commented on Barnes’ unexpected departure by saying, “But he needs to do what he needs to do. I don’t know why he’s getting out. I have to believe it’s something relatively important.” Evers has maintained his endorsement for Crowley, believing he is the most suitable candidate among the contenders.

Despite multiple candidate withdrawals, voting activity remains high, with nearly 128,000 absentee ballots already returned. Meanwhile, in-person early voting is underway. A judge recently denied a lawsuit, backed by the Democratic Party, seeking to allow voters to cancel and re-submit their absentee ballots.

The Democratic primary winner will eventually compete against U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is advancing with minimal opposition in the Republican primaries. Tiffany, endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has not yet responded to inquiries.

Barnes’ withdrawal follows his previous experience in 2022, when other Democratic primary candidates stepped aside, paving the way for his U.S. Senate campaign. Despite their support, Barnes narrowly lost to Republican Sen. Ron Johnson by under 27,000 votes.