Former Wisconsin lieutenant governor Mandela Barnes drops out of the Democratic nomination race for governor, multiple outlets report. Barnes makes the announcement in a video posted to social media, with several reports citing the post as appearing on platforms such as X or Facebook. Several outlets frame the decision in the context of Barnes struggling to gain traction in polls in a closely divided statewide race. According to reports, Democrats in Wisconsin were also preparing for potentially damaging news coverage involving Barnes ahead of the primary’s outcome.
The reports also describe the shifting dynamics within the Democratic field. PBS and other outlets note that democratic socialist Francesca Hong has built strong support from the party’s liberal wing and is leading in polls. The Hill similarly reports that Barnes concluded it was clear who the likely Democratic nominee would be.
Following Barnes’s exit, the Democratic nomination is expected to move forward without him, leaving Hong as the remaining leading figure described across the coverage. None of the reports provides a detailed explanation beyond Barnes’s remarks accompanying his withdrawal.
