Barnes Exits Wisconsin Governor Race

Mandela Barnes withdrew from the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor on Thursday, significantly altering the race less than two weeks before the August 11 election. The former lieutenant governor announced his decision in a video posted on social media, stating that he no longer saw a viable path to the nomination as democratic socialist Francesca Hong surged ahead with a commanding lead.

The move comes after a Marquette Law School poll showed Hong leading Barnes and other candidates by a significant margin, though about one-third of primary voters remained undecided. According to CBS News, Barnes said in his announcement video that 'it's become very clear who our nominee is going to be.'

Barnes is the third Democrat to exit the race this year. Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez ended her campaign amid a campaign finance scandal two weeks ago, and former state economic development director Missy Hughes dropped out in June. After Rodriguez's withdrawal, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley rejoined the race with the endorsement of Gov. Tony Evers.

As reported by CBS News, some Wisconsin Democrats have expressed concerns about Hong's candidacy. Voter Steve Wiesner stated he would vote Republican for the first time if Hong wins the primary. Meanwhile, voter Ian Anderson praised Hong as 'exactly the burst of energy we need' after casting his early ballot in Madison.

The winner of the Democratic primary is expected to face U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who faces only nominal opposition in the Republican primary. Early voting began on Tuesday with nearly 128,000 absentee ballots already returned and more than 117,000 absentee ballots cast by Wednesday according to multiple sources.

According to CBS News, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that it had sent questions to Barnes about past allegations of inappropriate behavior. The state party hired a law firm in 2025 to investigate claims that Barnes had used his position to pursue inappropriate relationships with 'young adult women.' However, the investigation found no actionable evidence due to the anonymous and unspecific nature of the claims.

Barnes's campaign denied any wrongdoing. 'There are no allegations of misconduct or wrongdoing against Mandela,' the campaign stated. 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.

Crowley moved quickly to appeal to Barnes's supporters: 'There’s a place for you in what we’re building.' Evers told reporters he was surprised by Barnes’s decision to withdraw but reiterated his support for Crowley, saying he believed Crowley was the strongest candidate 'even if Mandela was in,' according to CBS News.