Mandela Barnes ends Democratic campaign for Wisconsin governor - jsonline.com

Former Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes has ended his Democratic campaign for governor, announcing the decision on July 30, 2026.
His exit came amid Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporting into allegations that Barnes used his party role to have sexual encounters with young adult women; he has not been accused of any crimes, and a 2025 party review and outside law firm probe of similar anonymous claims found nothing actionable.
The departure coincided with the race's only televised debate and new statewide polling showing state Rep. Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, holding a wide lead ahead of the Aug. 11 primary.
Barnes, 39, had been considered the frontrunner since launching his campaign in December, but Hong, who entered the race in September, surged past him; he pledged to back the nominee while questioning whether Hong could defeat Republican Tom Tiffany.
Campaign finance reports from July 15 showed Barnes raised the most in the Democratic field, $841,358 in the first half of the year and $1.4 million overall, but heavy spending left him with $204,208 at the end of June, with the next reports due Aug. 3.
A veteran officeholder, Barnes was first elected to the state Assembly in 2012 at age 25, served two terms, and became lieutenant governor in 2018 on Tony Evers' ticket, which defeated Scott Walker and Rebecca Kleefisch to flip Wisconsin's top offices to Democratic control.