Mandela Barnes, the former lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, withdrew from the Democratic primary for governor on Thursday, less than two weeks before the 11 August election.
Barnes announced his decision in a social media video, stating he no longer saw a viable path to the nomination. He noted that democratic socialist Francesca Hong had surged ahead with a commanding lead, saying, “It’s become very clear who our nominee is going to be.” A Marquette Law School poll showed Hong with 38% support compared to Barnes's 16%.
Following Barnes's withdrawal, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported it had sent questions to him regarding past allegations of inappropriate behaviour. These claims, anonymously submitted to the Wisconsin Democratic party and others, led to the party hiring a law firm in 2025 to investigate. The party's internal review and outside investigation found no actionable evidence due to the claims being “anonymous and unspecific”. Barnes’s campaign denied any wrongdoing, stating, “There are no allegations of misconduct or wrongdoing against Mandela.”
Barnes is the third Democrat to exit the race. Lieutenant governor Sara Rodriguez withdrew two weeks ago, and former state economic development director Missy Hughes ended her campaign earlier this summer. Milwaukee county executive David Crowley re-entered the race after Rodriguez's exit, with the endorsement of Governor Tony Evers.