Mandela Barnes dropped out of the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor on Thursday, less than two weeks before the August 11 election. The former lieutenant governor announced his withdrawal in a video posted on social media.
Barnes is the third Democrat to withdraw from the race, following Sara Rodriguez and Missy Hughes. Rodriguez withdrew two weeks ago amid a campaign finance scandal, while former state economic development director Missy Hughes dropped out in June.
Polling and remaining candidates
A Marquette Law School poll of Wisconsin Democratic primary voters found Francesca Hong leading Mandela Barnes by a significant margin, with about one-third of voters undecided. According to the survey, Hong was at 38% and Barnes at 16%.
Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, has received backing from nationally recognized progressives including Rep. Ilhan Omar and Rep. Ro Khanna. As of late June, Hong had raised nearly $709,000, compared to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley's $250,000.
David Crowley rejoined the race with the endorsement of Governor Tony Evers after Rodriguez's exit. Governor Evers, who is not seeking re-election, said he was surprised by Barnes' decision but stuck by his endorsement of Crowley.
Evers stated he believed Crowley was the best candidate even if Barnes remained in the race. Crowley responded to Barnes' departure by saying there is a place for him in what they are building.
Allegations and investigation
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported it had sent questions to Barnes about past allegations of inappropriate behavior that had been anonymously submitted to the Wisconsin Democratic party. The party hired a law firm in 2025 to investigate claims that Barnes used his position to pursue inappropriate relationships with "young adult women."
The party's internal review and outside investigation found no actionable evidence because the claims were anonymous and unspecific. Barnes' campaign denied any wrongdoing, stating there are no allegations of misconduct or wrongdoing against him.
Voting underway
Nearly 128,000 voters had already returned absentee ballots on the third day of in-person early voting. A judge rejected a lawsuit that sought to allow voters who already cast absentee ballots to cancel them and vote again.
It is unfortunate for voters that this primary has gotten more attention for chaos than the stakes. Barnes said that while he may be suspending his campaign, he will never give up his fight for Wisconsin and urged supporters to come together.
The winner of the Democratic primary is expected to face U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Barnes, 39, lost the 2022 U.S. Senate race to Republican Sen. Ron Johnson by under 27,000 votes.