Former Wisconsin lieutenant governor Mandela Barnes exits Democratic gubernatorial primary
Mandela Barnes announced his withdrawal from the Wisconsin Democratic governor's primary after the state party reviewed anonymous allegations of inappropriate conduct, leaving the race led by Francesca Hong.
Mandela Barnes announced on Thursday that he is ending his campaign for the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin governor. The former lieutenant governor posted a video on his Facebook page stating, "It’s become very clear who our nominee is going to be," and cited the recent review of past allegations against him as a factor in his decision. The Wisconsin Democratic Party had received anonymous letters in 2024 and 2025 alleging that Barnes used his party position to pursue inappropriate relationships with young adult women. A law firm hired to investigate concluded that the claims were unspecific and did not produce actionable findings. Barnes’ campaign issued a statement saying there are no allegations of misconduct or wrongdoing against him.
Barnes was the third Democratic candidate to leave the race; former lieutenant governor Sara Rodriguez withdrew two weeks earlier amid a campaign-finance controversy, and former state economic development director Missy Hughes exited in June. After Rodriguez’s departure, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley re-entered the contest with Governor Tony Evers’ endorsement and appealed to Barnes’ supporters, posting, "There’s a place for you in what we’re building."
Governor Evers expressed surprise at Barnes’ exit, saying, "But he needs to do what he needs to do. I don’t know why he’s getting out. I have to believe it’s something relatively important."
Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, has emerged as the front-runner, leading a recent Marquette Law School poll of Democratic primary voters. The primary, scheduled for Aug. 11, will determine the party’s nominee to face Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who has the endorsement of President Donald Trump. Tiffany characterized the upcoming general-election contest as a choice between a "socialist agenda" and "common sense," adding that the election is about whether Wisconsin "stays Wisconsin."
Early voting continues, with more than 128,000 absentee ballots already cast. A judge recently denied a Democratic-backed lawsuit seeking to allow voters to cancel previously returned absentee ballots and vote again.