Mandela Barnes has dropped out of the Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary less than two weeks before the August 11 election, a move that reshapes the race. His exit follows a poll showing rival Francesca Hong with a significant lead and comes as a newspaper prepared to report on allegations of sexual encounters. The decision complicates the election, as nearly 128,000 early votes have already been cast.
Barnes withdrawal from primary
- ▪The Wisconsin Democratic Party reviewed anonymous allegations about Barnes' sexual encounters in 2025
- ▪Barnes' withdrawal occurred as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel was preparing to report on anonymous allegations about his sexual encounters
- ▪In 2022, Barnes benefited from a cleared field in the U.S. Senate primary but lost the general election to Republican Ron Johnson by under 27,000 votes
- ▪Mandela Barnes dropped out of the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor on July 30, 2026
Hong's polling lead
- ▪Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, has garnered strong support from the liberal wing of the Democratic party
- ▪A Marquette Law School poll released on July 29, 2026, found Francesca Hong leading the Democratic primary field by a significant margin
- ▪The same poll showed that about one-third of Democratic primary voters remained undecided
Democratic field reshuffling
- ▪Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez ended her campaign two weeks prior to Barnes' withdrawal amid a campaign finance scandal
- ▪Barnes is the third Democrat to withdraw from the race, following Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez and former state economic development director Missy Hughes
Crowley's campaign positioning
- ▪Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley re-entered the race after Sara Rodriguez dropped out and appealed to Barnes' supporters after his withdrawal
- ▪Gov. Evers chose to endorse Crowley over Barnes, who served as his lieutenant governor in his first term
- ▪Gov. Tony Evers has endorsed David Crowley, stating he was the best candidate even with Barnes in the race
Early voting complications
- ▪By the time Barnes dropped out, nearly 128,000 voters had already returned absentee ballots and in-person early voting was on its third day
- ▪A judge rejected a lawsuit on July 29, 2026, that would have allowed voters to cancel their absentee ballots and vote again
- ▪Barnes' withdrawal came less than two weeks before the August 11 primary election
General election outlook
- ▪The winner of the Democratic primary is expected to face U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in the general election
- ▪Tom Tiffany faces only nominal opposition in the Republican primary and has the endorsement of former President Donald Trump
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