Wisconsin governor race: Democrat Mandela Barnes launches campaign
Mandela Barnes launches campaign for governor
Former Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes launched his campaign for governor, joining a crowded field of Democrats in the race to succeed Tony Evers.
MADISON, Wis. - Former Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes launched his campaign for governor on Tuesday, joining a crowded field of Democrats in the race to succeed Gov. Tony Evers.
Mandela Barnes campaign
What they're saying:
After serving in the Wisconsin Legislature, Barnes served one term as Wisconsin’s lieutenant governor. He lost a bid for U.S. Senate in 2022.
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"I’ve served Wisconsin in our Legislature and as your lieutenant governor. I know how to bring people together. And I know how to get things done," Barnes said in his campaign launch video, which focused on affordability.
"Families doing everything right are still falling behind, so here’s the reality check: The only way for our state to move forward is to reject the Washington way and get things done the Wisconsin way."
Mandela Barnes launches campaign for Wisconsin governor
Barnes pledged to add more money for public schools, end the state’s 1849 abortion ban, fight against President Donald Trump’s tariffs and bring new gun laws to the state.
Barnes also revealed some early endorsements Tuesday, including from Green Bay’s mayor and Milwaukee Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic.
Who is running for Wisconsin governor?
The backstory:
Barnes joins a crowded Democratic field that includes current Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, State Rep. Francesca Hong, State Sen. Kelda Roys, former State Rep. Brett Hulsey and Missy Hughes, a former dairy executive in the Evers administration.
The Republican field includes U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany and Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann.
When is the election?
What's next:
With competing visions for the future of the state, voters will decide whether a Republican or Democrat should lead Wisconsin. The primary for the governor’s race is on Aug. 11, 2026. The general election will be Nov. 3, 2026.
Wisconsin Capitol, Madison
Crowded competition
Dig deeper:
The race for governor won't be cheap. In the 2022 U.S. Senate race, both campaigns and outside groups spent more than $200 million. The incumbent, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, won the close race by a one-point difference.
"In politics, name recognition is half the battle," said Mordecai Lee, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professor emeritus.
The Badger Battleground Poll in early October found Barnes led the potential Democratic field. But even more voters at that time said they were undecided.
Mandela Barnes (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"If you've got eight, 10 candidates running, and let's say they're all relatively substantial candidates, you could have somebody become the Democratic nominee for governor with 15% of the vote, 20% of the vote," said Lee. "In my opinion, as a professor of government, that's not democracy. That's not the way it should be."
The stakes are high, but some in Barnes' own party did not want him to run. The Milwaukee Courier backs Democrats, but its editorial board urged Barnes not to run – saying he already had his shot.
"It used to be in Wisconsin politics that a person could run a couple of times before people would start saying, ‘Oh, so-and-so is a loser,’" Lee said. "Bill Proxmire ran for governor three times and lost, and then won the U.S. Senate.
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"In other words, in those days, a person had longevity. In modern times, it seems to me that the sort of category of so-and-so is a loser, or so-and-so shouldn't run again, or so-and-so had his or her chance. I think that comes a lot faster, and so his race is going to tell us what the longevity of name recognition is."
Two Republicans are also running for Wisconsin governor.
"We get so tired of these terrible ads that they forget that there are true consequences to the outcome of an election," said Lee. "Is the next governor of Wisconsin going to be pro-life, or is the next governor going to be pro-choice?"
Republican reaction
The other side:
FOX6 News received the following official statements in response to Barnes' announcement on Tuesday.
U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wisconsin):
"Mandela Barnes is a dangerous far-left extremist who wants to defund the police, end cash bail, and abolish federal law enforcement. The fact that he is the Democrat frontrunner shows just how radical and out of touch the party has become. Wisconsinites rejected him in 2022, and they will do it again in 2026."
Republican Governors Association:
"The Democrats' race to the left continues in Wisconsin with Mandela Barnes’ entry into the governor's race. Peddling dangerous, soft-on-crime policies and a disastrous economic agenda, Barnes has already been rejected by voters once and has proven he is too far left for Wisconsin. As prices continue to rise under Democrat leadership in the governor's office, it's clear that Wisconsin can’t afford Barnes in power."
The Source: FOX6 News received a news release from the Mandela Barnes campaign and referenced prior coverage related to the 2026 race for Wisconsin governor. Some information from the Associated Press.