Barnes Drops Out of Race for Governor
Former lieutenant governor drops out after disappointing Marquette Poll, calls for party unity.
Mandela Barnes. (Public Domain).
Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes ended his campaign for governor Thursday.
Barnes dropped out of the race in the wake of the latest Marquette University Law School Poll placing him well behind front-runner state Rep. Francesca Hong.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also reported Thursday that Barnes’ decision comes amid the newspaper’s investigation of allegations that Barnes “was taking advantage of his role in the party to have sexual encounters with young adult women.”
Barnes did not mention any of this in a short video posted to social media announcing his departure from the race.
The Democrats remaining in the race for governor include Hong, state Sen. Kelda Roys, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and Greater Milwaukee Committee President Joel Brennan. The winner of the primary will face Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the presumptive Republican nominee, in the general election. Tiffany is endorsed by President Donald Trump.
“It’s become very clear to me who our nominee is going to be,” Barnes said. “We have to do everything to beat Tom Tiffany; this is life or death. We’re losing their health care under the Trump administration. People who can’t afford child care, the folks who are being squeezed by bills, while the rich continue to get richer.”
Barnes entered the race with by far the most statewide recognition of all the Democratic candidates, with a name ID among 61% of respondents, compared to 29% for Hong. But since then Hong has steadily risen in the Marquette polls, which most recently showed her with 38% of the vote, compared to 16% for Barnes.
Barnes, 39, served as a state Assembly representative for one term (2013-17), unsuccessfully sought a state Senate seat and then ran for and won the position of lieutenant governor in 2019, at age 31, becoming the first Black person to hold the position in Wisconsin history. He served under Gov. Tony Evers for one term, 2019-23. He ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate against Republican Ron Johnson in 2022, losing by just 1% of the vote.
Barnes’ departure marks the third time a Democrat has exited the race before the primary election. Former WEDC Secretary Missy Hughes suspended her campaign in June and endorsed Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez. Crowley did the same in July. But when a campaign finance scandal sank the Rodriguez campaign, Crowley relaunched his own with an endorsement from Gov. Tony Evers.
Crowley was the first Democrat to release a statement after Barnes’ departure. “To everyone who backed Mandela: there’s a place for you in what we’re building,” he said in a statement on social media. Hong quickly followed suit, announcing, “The Barnes campaign helped grow the progressive movement,” and also welcoming his supporters to back her campaign. Brennan released a statement doing the same, and saying, “It’s unfortunate for voters that this primary has gotten more attention for chaos than the stakes of this election.” A spokesperson for Roys declined to comment on Barnes leaving the race, but said Roys is best placed to beat Tiffany and has “no drama, no baggage.”
Barnes exits the race with more than $204,207 remaining in his campaign account, having raised more than $841,000 since the start of the year. Just days before exiting the race, an attorney supporting Crowley filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission alleging the Barnes campaign violated state election law.
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The journal sentinel has been running quite an abundance of hit pieces on democratic candidates – Is there going to be a tiffany endorsement in the future? They have certainly raised a lot of valid concerns, but at what end?
Ah What I had heard is now public. Barnes surely knew about the claims and he did not respond, which was most unfortunate, if it is lie or half truth and then why did he run if it is true????? If I knew about Barnes potential baggage, then surely all reading this would know about it. What is the matter with all of these folks If it is Hong we will hear that she has no degree and that she could not figure out how to deal with a $30,000 credit card balance and who knows what else. With Crowley we will see over and over and over his foolish comments which I have not read yet but will hear then 5 times a day and what of the Insurance fiasco???
AND no one is dealing with the Choice and Charter folks who will not vote or will vote for Tiffany and screw ………. Remember that is how Barnes lost …….. Only 11,000 votes
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh There still is time to sort it out and to get agreement on a platform that all will agree with and then everyone but one will drop out.
This is not an election it is a crap shoot and that is not the way to win. If this was the days of Tommy Thompson etc no big deal IT IS NOT and we MUST WIN
@toyotathon I’d rather get all the vetting out of the way before the primary. Imagine being in the place of Maine Dems trying to replace Platner after the primary.
A baked potato could beat Tom Tiffany. The guy makes Tony Evers look like a wildly interesting rock star.
What an absolute dud of a campaign from Barnes. Dude blew more than $1 million on a campaign that still managed to be invisible to most voters, and never led despite having by far the most name recognition.
And now we know this story about his creepiness with women was lurking in the background, yet he thought he was owed the nomination anyway. Pathetic.
I can’t decide which version of Hallelujah I want to play. The one by the Pentatonix, or the one by Leonard Cohen (RIP).
Maybe both are in order?
With 34 percent of the electorate undecided less than two weeks before the vote, there is a greater opportunity for the remaining candidates. I support Joel Brennan: experienced and electable statewide.
Why do we obsess so about sex between consenting adults?
I hope folks will realize Brennan has the best shot of beating Tiffany. I understand why many are enamored with, and willing to campaign and fight for Hong, but it would be an uphill battle in north central and northern Wisconsin. Do we really want to risk it? Being dependent on public transit, I’ve heard a lot throughout the decades which amazed me. Including the amount of folks who don’t believe in voting because their God will take care of them, those who don’t vote because they don’t want to be blamed for anything, those who don’t think a woman or person of color is capable of being a governor or President. And then there’s the entitled culture, who doesn’t vote because they are living off the taxpayers’ dollars and will always be take care of so why should it matter to them? And that’s just in Milwaukee County. In the northern part of the state, they are convinced NYC is being led by a Communist, thanks to right wing radio. FOX news is the preferred outlet to watch the news and the radio dial is always tuned to a right wing talk show.Please Dems, think it through. If you want to retain the governor’s mansion, the best chance is Brennan.
Joel Brennan is the most qualified and most electable candidate. He is also a person of honor, an essential attribute in these troubled times. I’m going to vote for Joel Brennan in the primary and, I hope, in the November 3rd election!
Brennan has no chance of winning the primary. Hong will actually work for US. It will not be an easy win, but it is winnable! Volunteer and join the fight.
Now why didn’t those who advise folks tell Barnes to explain that yes he had a relationship with an adult and i/we decided to end the relationship. Yes as a public figure I could have should have used better judgement with those who i had relationships but I did not Had he done that I would be all over now WOW
I am tired of the Brennan supporters who say he is the only candidate who can win in the racist north of Wisconsin. I am sorry but there is no racist territory of our state. If this is his only quality then he should reconsider why he is running to represent an entire state. Wisconsin has elected and re-elected one of the most progressive senators who is openly gay and lives unmarried with her partner. Why don’t you people just come out with your true feelings? Hong is Asian, she looks younger than she is, she eats Korean food at a fundraiser, she is short. Why don’t you salute Urban Milwaukee for not highlighting her name in this article and openly supporting Crowley. I refuse to vote for racism. I refuse to vote for a candidate because a group of bigoted people may be more acceptable to him. Let us be real caddy. I remember when the Discovery Center was built taking over a wonderful free picnic area on our lakefront and replacing it with a gawdy building most Milwaukee people could not afford the admission to get inside. I refuse to vote for a candidate who excluded the average citizen from a building he managed.
This primary sure has been interesting!
And so we have those who will VOTE for Hong even though there are 3 or 4 rational reasons that WE ALL KNOW ABOUT but everyone is waiting for Tom Tiffany to EXPOSE them as if we did not know about them
So we have those who will VOTE for Crowley even though there are 3 or 4 rational reasons that that WE ALL KNOW ABOUT but everyone is waiting for Tom Tiffany to EXPOSE them as if we did not know about them
Those issues are all greater than the Barns story about an adult male who was less than polite with the adult women he dated and THEY DATED HIM only to regret it. Hummmmmmmm
Maybe a lesson learned Share you baggage up front
Hummmmmmmmm
KWH; Michael J. Cudahy was the force behind Discovery World. Joel Brennan was an employee. Lay blame on the rich entitled culture of this community, not an employee.