Madison, Wis. – Mandela Barnes has withdrawn from the Democratic primary race for Wisconsin governor, adding new dynamics to the contest less than two weeks before the election scheduled for August 11.
Barnes, a former lieutenant governor, shared his decision through a video on Facebook. His withdrawal comes amid a surge of support for democratic socialist Francesca Hong from the liberal faction within the party.
A recent poll by Marquette Law School showed Hong leading Barnes and other candidates by a substantial margin, though approximately one-third of voters remain undecided.
“It’s become very clear who our nominee is going to be,” Barnes said.
He becomes the third Democrat to leave the race. Prior to Barnes, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez ended her campaign due to a finance scandal, followed by former state economic development director Missy Hughes, who left the race in June.
Following Rodriguez’s withdrawal, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley re-entered the race with the endorsement of Gov. Tony Evers. Crowley reached out to Barnes’ supporters on social media, stating, “There’s a place for you in what we’re building.”
Gov. Tony Evers expressed surprise at Barnes’ decision, mentioning his endorsement of Crowley, who has worked with Evers and Republican lawmakers on funding local communities. Despite Barnes serving as his lieutenant governor, Evers considered Crowley the strongest candidate.
Meanwhile, Hong did not respond to requests for comment.
Another candidate, Joel Brennan, labeled the primary process as chaotic, diverting focus from the election’s importance.
With over 128,000 absentee ballots already submitted and early in-person voting ongoing, a judicial decision blocked a Democratic Party-supported lawsuit that aimed to let voters amend their absentee ballots.
The Democratic nominee will likely face U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is expected to encounter minimal competition in the Republican primary. Tiffany, endorsed by former President Donald Trump, did not respond to comments.
Barnes’ exit from the gubernatorial race follows his previous Senate primary campaign in 2022, where he gained from other candidates dropping out, ultimately losing narrowly to Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson.
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