Former Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes ends his campaign for governor, dropping out of the Democratic primary ahead of the 11 August election. Multiple outlets report that Barnes makes the announcement on Thursday in a video posted on social media. The decision comes as the race for the Democratic nomination narrows around his rival, democratic socialist Francesca Hong, who has been building strong support and leading in polls, including among parts of the party’s liberal wing.
While some pre-election reporting had indicated Democratic officials were preparing for potentially damaging news that could affect Barnes, the immediate developments cited in these articles focus on Barnes’s assessment that he no longer has a viable path to secure the nomination. NBC News, ABC News, The Independent, The Hill, PBS NewsHour, and The Guardian all describe Barnes saying the race has effectively narrowed and that another candidate is positioned to become the party’s nominee. The Independent and other outlets describe the move as Barnes exiting the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor.
