Mandela Barnes, the former lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, has called it quits in the Democratic primary for governor, dropping out on Thursday and throwing the already chaotic race into even more disarray with less than two weeks to go before the 11 August election.
Barnes made the announcement in a video posted on social media, citing the inconvenient fact that democratic socialist Francesca Hong has surged ahead with a commanding lead. “It’s become very clear who our nominee is going to be,” said Barnes, 39, in what might be the least surprising political statement of the year.
A Marquette Law School poll showed Hong with 38% support compared to Barnes’s distant 16%, as she consolidated liberal support, particularly among young voters, though about a third of primary voters remained undecided - presumably waiting for someone who hasn't been accused of anything.
Shortly after Barnes’s withdrawal, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported it had sent questions to the candidate about past allegations of inappropriate behavior that had been anonymously submitted to the Wisconsin Democratic party and other officials. According to the Journal Sentinel, the state party hired a law firm in 2025 to investigate claims that Barnes had used his position in the party to pursue inappropriate relationships with “young adult women.” The party’s internal review and outside investigation found no actionable evidence, because the claims were, in a word, “anonymous and unspecific.” In a statement, the party insisted, “There are no allegations of misconduct or wrongdoing against Mandela.” Which is technically true, if you ignore the anonymous ones.
His departure adds yet another twist to the Democratic primary in Wisconsin, a perennial battleground that has been at the center of national disputes over election administration since the 2020 election. Barnes is the third Democrat to exit the race, following lieutenant governor Sara Rodriguez, who withdrew two weeks ago amid a campaign finance scandal. After Rodriguez’s exit, Milwaukee county executive David Crowley re-entered the race with the endorsement of Governor Tony Evers, who, mercifully, is not seeking re-election. Earlier this summer, Missy Hughes, a former state economic development director, also ended her campaign.
On Wednesday, a judge rejected an effort backed by the Democratic party to let voters who had already cast absentee ballots void their initial vote and vote again, over concerns that many early ballots had been cast for candidates who were no longer in the race. Because nothing says democracy like letting people vote twice.
Crowley moved quickly to appeal to Barnes’s supporters: “There’s a place for you in what we’re building,” he said, presumably referring to his campaign and not a new political dynasty. Evers told reporters he was surprised by Barnes’s decision but reiterated his support for Crowley, saying he believed Crowley was the strongest candidate “even if Mandela was in,” as reported by the Associated Press.
The Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Wisconsin is expected to face Republican US congressman Tom Tiffany, who is backed by Donald Trump. Because of course he is.
Barnes was once viewed as a rising star in Democratic politics. In 2022, rather than seek re-election as lieutenant governor, he ran for the US Senate, narrowly losing the race to incumbent Republican Ron Johnson. Now he's out of the governor's race, leaving Democrats to wonder what could have been - and whether anyone else will drop out before the election.