Mandela Barnes bowed out of Wisconsin's Democratic primary for governor Thursday—just ahead of the publication of reporting on internal party allegations about his past conduct. In a video, the former lieutenant governor said it was "very clear" who the nominee would be and urged Democrats to focus on defeating likely Republican candidate Tom Tiffany, without naming a preferred Democrat, Politico reports. Minutes after his exit, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported it was investigating claims that Barnes used his position in the state party to pursue sexual encounters with young women, citing a 2025 party review that ended without formal action.
Barnes has not been accused of a crime, and his campaign insists "there are no allegations of misconduct or wrongdoing." He brought strong name recognition into the race, though his campaign never really took off, per the New York Times. His departure reshapes a primary dominated by progressive state Rep. Francesca Hong, who leads in polling, with David Crowley—recently reentered and backed by Gov. Tony Evers—trying to unite moderates. Democrats close to Barnes want his supporters to migrate to Crowley. Barnes is the third Democrat to withdraw from the race, per the AP. Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez ended her run in the face of a campaign finance scandal two weeks ago, and former state economic development director Missy Hughes dropped out in June.
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