Former Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes announced Thursday that he is dropping out of the Democratic primary for governor, shaking up a volatile race less than two weeks before the Aug. 11 election, according to AP News. Barnes made his announcement in a video posted to social media, telling staff the previous night that his campaign was coming to an end.
Mandela Barnes Exits Wisconsin Gubernatorial Primary
It’s become very clear who our nominee is going to be,
Barnes said in a post on MS NOW, noting that his primary goal was defeating the Republican nominee.
Barnes’ exit follows the release of a Marquette University Law School poll showing state Rep. Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, leading the crowded primary field with 38 percent support, according to Thehill. The same poll placed Barnes at 16 percent and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley at 7 percent, while about one-third of primary voters remained undecided.
A Volatile Primary Marked by Campaign Shakeups
Barnes is the third prominent Democrat to withdraw from the race to succeed retiring Gov. Tony Evers. Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez ended her campaign amid a campaign finance scandal, and former state economic development director Missy Hughes dropped out earlier in the summer. Following Rodriguez’s departure, Crowley rejoined the contest with the endorsement of Evers, who chose to back Crowley despite Barnes having served as his lieutenant governor during his first term.
The primary turbulence arrives as nearly 128,000 voters have already returned absentee ballots during the third day of in-person early voting, according to AP News. A judge recently rejected a lawsuit supported by the Democratic Party that sought to allow voters who already cast absentee ballots to cancel and recast them, and the state’s elections commission ruled that voters cannot change early ballots cast for candidates who have dropped out.
General Election Stakes and Party Divisions
Barnes’ departure paves the way for Hong to take on U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the presumptive Republican nominee who is endorsed by President Donald Trump. While Hong has garnered strong support from the liberal wing of the party and key endorsements from national progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Ilhan Omar, some moderate Democrats have expressed concern over her general election prospects in the battleground state.
According to aol.com, Marquette polling indicated Barnes was previously the only top-tier Democratic candidate with a lead in a hypothetical general election matchup against Tiffany. With Barnes out, political operatives suggest his remaining supporters could shift toward Crowley, whose campaign is planning a late push alongside Gov. Evers.
Barnes previously served in the state assembly and ran as the Democratic Senate nominee in 2022, losing to Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson by 1 percentage point, or fewer than 27,000 votes. Reflecting on his departure from the gubernatorial contest, Barnes stated that he remains committed to ensuring a Democratic victory in the general election.