Mandela Barnes drops out of Wisconsin governor race

Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes dropped out of the crowded Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor on Thursday, as progressive state lawmaker Francesca Hong surges in the polls.

“It’s become very clear who our nominee is going to be,” he said in avideo posted to social media, while not directly naming another contender.

“We have to do everything to beat Tom Tiffany,” he added, referencing the likely GOP nominee.

The announcement comes as Democratic officials in the state brace for damaging media reports about Barnes, which were expected to hit in the coming hours. Barnes and his team had been on calls Thursday discussing whether to drop out, POLITICO reported earlier.

Shortly after Barnes exited the race, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported it was investigating allegations that Barnes had leveraged his role within the state Democratic party to have sexual encounters with young women, based on a 2025 review conducted by the party. Barnes has not been accused of any crimes, and the Journal Sentinel reported that the party’s review did not result in an actionable outcome.

Barnes’ campaign spokesperson Darby O’Connor said in a statement that “there are no allegations of misconduct or wrongdoing against Mandela.”

The primary had become increasingly messy as more moderate leaning Democrats have tried to stave off Hong’s rise, worried the democratic socialist’s victory could boost Tiffany. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ endorsement of David Crowley — who reentered the race in the final stretch after current Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez’s campaign imploded — further complicated the moderate coalition.

Democrats, including some close to Barnes, are hoping the last-minute drop will allow voters to coalesce around Crowley, who is set to hit the campaign trail with Evers next week in the final stretch, according to four people with direct knowledge of the matter. Evers is also slated to appear at several fundraisers for Crowley in the coming days, including one in Madison on Thursday and a Friday event in Milwaukee.

Those Democrats believe Evers can help boost Crowley’s support with older voters, who turn out more reliably than Hong’s base of younger Wisconsinites. Crowley still faces a major uphill battle, but that’s the only path to challenge Hong.

But Crowley is still contending with two other Democrats — state Sen. Kelda Roys and former Evers cabinet member Joel Brennan — who are polling in the single-digits. Brennan said Thursday he plans to remain in the race, vowing to “continue reaching voters to talk about what I’ll do to win and lead our state to a stronger future.”