Democrat Mandela Barnes drops out of the Wisconsin governor’s race

BREAKING NEWSJul. 30, 2026, 6:33 PM UTC2026 Election2026 ElectionDemocrat Mandela Barnes drops out of the Wisconsin governor’s raceBarnes, the former lieutenant governor and 2022 Senate nominee, had struggled to gain traction ahead of the Aug. 11 primary. Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes ended his campaign for governor Thursday.Daniel Boczarski / Getty Images for WisDems fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy Adam EdelmanFormer Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes said Thursday that he is dropping out of the Democratic race for governor in Wisconsin.“Last night I had a very difficult conversation with staff,” Barnes said in a video posted to X. “We’re incredibly proud of all the things that we’ve accomplished and all the resources that we have raised to spread our message. But it’s become very clear who our nominee is going to be.”That statement is a clear nod to state Rep. Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, who has expanded her polling lead ahead of the Aug. 11 primary. A Marquette University Law School released Wednesday showed Hong with the support of 38% of Democratic primary voters in the state, followed by Barnes with 16% support.His exit is the latest major development to rock what has been a volatile open Democratic primary.ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleAdam EdelmanI cover state legislatures, politics and policy — and how those topics coalesce into and intersect with national political trends. Given what state lawmakers have focused on in recent years, my coverage areas tend to veer into reproductive rights, voting rights and education policy. I was born and raised in Milwaukee, and I try to make my native state proud by covering as many of its fascinating political stories as I can.