Update: Mandela Barnes has withdrawn from the Democratic primary for governor (July 30, 2026) →
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Mandela Barnes

Photo: Susan Ruggles / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Mandela Barnes

DemocraticWithdrawn

Former Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin

ⓘ What do the party and ideology labels mean?

On the ballot, partisan candidates run under a party — in Wisconsin almost always Democratic or Republican, with the occasional third-party or independent candidate. Words like progressive, conservative, libertarian, or democratic socialist are labels people use to describe themselves, not separate parties on the ballot. A label is a starting point; each candidate's sourced positions show where they actually stand.

How we do this →

What is Mandela Barnes running for?

Mandela Barnes is on the ballot for Governor of Wisconsin in the August 11, 2026 Wisconsin partisan primary. 10 other candidates are on the ballot.

Also on this ballot

Who is Mandela Barnes?

Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin (2019–2023), the first Black Wisconsinite to hold the office; former state Assembly representative from Milwaukee; narrowly lost the 2022 U.S. Senate race; announced his run for governor December 2, 2025 and is widely viewed as the Democratic frontrunner

Entered the race December 2, 2025. Sunshine committee 'Mandela for Wisconsin' still shows his prior Lieutenant Governor registration; gubernatorial campaign finance expected in the July 29, 2026 pre-primary filing.

Where does Mandela Barnes stand on the issues?

ⓘ What do these stance labels mean?

Each label describes how a candidate has spoken about an issue, drawn from a sourced statement — not our opinion. Support and oppose mean they've clearly taken that side. Mixed means their statements point both ways. Evolving means their stated position has changed over time. Unclear means we couldn't find a clear public statement. Every label links to the source it came from.

How we do this →
ⓘ Sourced position vs. campaign claim — what's the difference?

A sourced position is something we tied to a specific public statement, with a link. A campaign claim is what a candidate's own site says about their priorities. We keep them separate so you can see the difference between a documented stance and a self-description.

How we do this →
abortionsupport

Barnes supports repealing Wisconsin's 1849 abortion ban and making Roe v. Wade the law of the land.

Position sources (1)
agriculturesupport

Barnes is presenting an agricultural policy agenda he says he would enact if elected governor.

Position sources (1)
economy-jobssupport

Barnes supports enforcing antitrust laws to break up monopolies, passing living wage legislation, repealing Act 10 and right-to-work laws, and strengthening union rights.

Position sources (1)
educationsupport

Barnes supports fully funding public schools, providing property tax relief, increasing accountability for voucher schools and responsibly sunsetting the voucher program, and expanding tuition assistance.

Position sources (1)
elections-democracysupport

Barnes supports redrawing Wisconsin's congressional maps, ensuring safe and fair elections, strengthening campaign finance laws, and running a campaign that takes no corporate PAC money.

Position sources (1)
environment-energysupport

Barnes supports freezing utility rates, taking on utility monopolies, and protecting natural resources including removing PFAS from drinking water and bringing more renewable energy online.

Position sources (1)
healthcaresupport

Barnes supports expanding BadgerCare, creating a public option, protecting rural hospitals, and forgiving medical debt.

Position sources (1)
housingsupport

Barnes supports lowering housing costs by building more homes, stopping out-of-state hedge funds from pricing out residents, and providing tax credits and low-interest loans for first-time homebuyers.

Position sources (1)
immigrationsupport

Barnes proposes stopping ICE from what he characterizes as making Wisconsin less safe as part of his public safety agenda.

Position sources (1)
public-safetysupport

Barnes supports fully funding law enforcement, investing in preventative programs, increasing mental health funding, and passing common sense gun laws.

Position sources (1)
taxes-budgetsupport

Barnes proposes closing tax loopholes for out-of-state corporations, establishing a new tax bracket for millionaires, taxing estates larger than $15 million, and cutting taxes for middle-class families.

Position sources (1)

The interview

Mandela Barnes sat down with WisconsinEye and WisPolitics for a half-hour interview. Every candidate in this race sat for the same interview, so these answers are directly comparable. Each is transcribed verbatim, timestamped to the recording.

WisconsinEye · Campaign 2026Recorded 2026-07-13

  1. “Now we need to create a system of long term permanent affordability for folks where we tax the wealthy, we tax billionaires, we tax out of state corporations”

    At 2:10 · Watch on WisconsinEye ↗

  2. “if you aren't paying a living wage, you don't deserve tax breaks as a corporation. If you aren't, if you're threatening to outsource American jobs, Wisconsin jobs, artificial intelligence, you don't deserve tax breaks.”

    At 3:56 · Watch on WisconsinEye ↗

  3. “I have not I have not settled on a final number, but even a modest increase will go a long way here in the state.”

    At 4:52 · Watch on WisconsinEye ↗

  4. “fully funding our schools means the state needs to meet its commitment of two thirds funding. That's problem here.”

    At 5:27 · Watch on WisconsinEye ↗

  5. “fully funding our schools means the state needs to meet its commitment of two thirds funding.”

    At 5:27 · Watch on WisconsinEye ↗

  6. “Over half the schools would be out. The bad actors would immediately be dropped from the system. We would have more resources freed up to provide to our public schools”

    At 12:56 · Watch on WisconsinEye ↗

  7. “So I do I do wanna get rid of Act 10.”

    At 17:22 · Watch on WisconsinEye ↗

  8. “there's no reason we should be subsidizing subsidizing data centers here in Wisconsin. Why should we give $2,000,000,000”

    At 18:28 · Watch on WisconsinEye ↗

  9. “we put out our plan to temporarily freeze the race. People need some immediate relief.”

    At 21:12 · Watch on WisconsinEye ↗

  10. “in terms of funding, I'm not cutting any resources. Let me be very clear there. We're gonna make sure that they have the resources they need to be able to do their jobs effectively.”

    At 24:34 · Watch on WisconsinEye ↗

Full program on wiseye.org ↗Support WisconsinEye ↗

Quotes are transcribed verbatim from the recording and checked against it before publication. Watching the video requires a free WisconsinEye account. WisconsinEye is a nonprofit that records Wisconsin government and campaigns gavel-to-gavel; this interview exists because they were in the room.

ⓘ What is a voting record showing me?

A roll-call vote is a recorded yes/no vote in the legislature; 'aye' means yes and 'no' means no. A 'deciding vote' is one that changed the outcome. These are the candidate's actual recorded votes, linked to the official record.

How we do this →

Voting record

Recorded floor votes Mandela Barnes cast in the Wisconsin Legislature, newest first, across the 2015 session, 2013 session. Every entry links to its official roll call and the full bill. We don’t rate or score votes.

823

Recorded votes

329

Voted yes

492

Voted no

100%

Participation

2 did not vote

  1. Loading…

In their own words

“There is no greater priority as Governor than keeping Wisconsinites safe.”

“Mandela also continued his work to bring down energy costs, founding Forward Together Wisconsin and helping lower families’ energy bills, improving air quality, and promoting clean energy.”

“Working hard and playing by the rules is no longer a ticket to a middle class life, and Washington under Trump has been devastating to Wisconsin.”

ⓘ How do I read these campaign-finance numbers?

Individual contributions come from people; PAC (political action committee) money comes from organized groups. Cash-on-hand is what a campaign has left to spend. Money shows who is backing a campaign — it is not an endorsement by us, and more money does not mean a candidate is better.

How we do this →

Top reported contributors

  • United Food & Commercial Workers International Union Active Ballot Club (Washington)$54,000
  • Benjamin Ryan (Janesville)$20,000
  • Lynda Resnick (Los Angeles)$20,000
  • Ashish Shaskikant Patel (Carlisle)$20,000
  • Robert E. Haselow (Edina)$20,000
Show 5 more
  • Anne Abramson (Washington)$20,000
  • Elizabeth Diane Simons (Atherton)$20,000
  • Justine Haselow (Edina)$20,000
  • Andrew Welters (Mclean)$15,000
  • End Citizens United Non-Federal (Washington)$15,000

Source: WI Ethics Commission (Sunshine) · non-commercial voter education use

Top organization & PAC donors

  • United Food & Commercial Workers International Union Active Ballot Club (Washington)PAC/Committee$54,000
  • End Citizens United Non-Federal (Washington)PAC/Committee$15,000
  • The Next 50 PAC (New York)PAC/Committee$10,000
  • Latino Leaders for Equality, Growth, Opportunity, Progressive Action & Change (Washington)Unregistered$5,000
  • Advancing Democracy and Mobilization PAC (DC)Unregistered$5,000
Show 5 more
  • Collective PAC (Macedonia)PAC/Committee$5,000
  • March On PAC (Washington)Unregistered$3,000
  • Friends of Mark Chambers (Milwaukee)PAC/Committee$2,500
  • ALSOPAC (Upper Marlboro)PAC/Committee$2,500
  • FDM Connects (Santa Monica)$1,046

Source: WI Ethics Commission (Sunshine) · non-commercial voter education use

What it means. 65% of individual and business donations came from outside Wisconsin.

Where the money comes from

Funding mix by source type
Individuals91%$1,035,39512555 donors
Union PACs5%$54,0001 donors
PACs & committees3%$35,0005 donors
Other1%$14,44810 donors
36% from donations under $200 (11,920 donors)
  • under $200$370,914 · 11,920 donors
  • $200–$999$161,112 · 482 donors
  • $1,000 and up$503,370 · 153 donors

Individual donors only, grouped by each donor's total

35% from Wisconsin
  • Wisconsin$367,124 · 3,547 donors
  • Out of state$669,628 · 9,012 donors
  • Unknown$20 · 1 donors

Individuals and businesses; committees excluded

Monthly fundraising

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Monthly fundraising totals
2026-01$115,278
2026-02$83,114
2026-03$177,461
2026-04$86,366
2026-05$157,652
2026-06$221,487
2026-07$297,485

Itemized contributions, filings through Aug 3, 2026 · Source: WI Ethics Commission (Sunshine)

Political ads about Mandela Barnes

Ads a BadgerBrief editor confirmed are about Mandela Barnes, from the Meta Ad Library. Spend is the range Meta discloses.

Supporting ~$198 · 4 adsAttacking ~$50 · 1 ad
  • Attack$0–$99

    True North News

    🚨 A years-old clip of Mandela Barnes calling the founding of America "awful" is being recirculated ahead of the July 4th holiday, drawing renewed attention as Barnes campaigns for Wisconsin governor in 2026. The footage originates from an August 2021 speech by Barnes, then serving as Wisconsin's lieutenant governor. In the clip, Barnes states: "The founding of this nation? Awful. You know, but we are here now and we should commit ourselves to doing everything we can do to repair the harm because it still exists ." Barnes cited slavery and colonization as examples of harms whose impacts "are felt today." The clip was first published during Barnes' 2022 U.S. Senate campaign — which he lost to incumbent Republican Sen. Ron Johnson — and is now being reshared by @HeartlandPostWI on the eve of July 4, 2026. A spokesperson for Barnes' 2022 campaign said: "Painting the Lt. Governor's comment as anything other than a condemnation of slavery is a sad GOP attempt to distract." Barnes, who made history as the first African American to serve as Wisconsin's lieutenant governor, announced his 2026 gubernatorial candidacy on December 2, 2025, and is considered the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report has rated the Wisconsin governor's race a "toss up." Do Barnes' past remarks about America's founding change how you view his 2026 gubernatorial campaign? 👇 #MandelaBarnes #Wisconsin #WIGov #July4th #WisconsinPolitics #Breaking

    View ad on Meta ↗
  • Support$0–$99

    Mandela Barnes

    Paid for by Mandela for Wisconsin

    This race for Wisconsin Governor is a pure TOSS-UP. I’m fighting like hell to put in the miles we need to win this race. But without support from folks like you, we will fall short. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩. 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝗻 $𝟭𝟬 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘆’𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀? →

    View ad on Meta ↗
  • Support$0–$99

    Mandela Barnes

    Paid for by Mandela for Wisconsin

    I’m running for Governor to put Wisconsin’s working families first. If you’re with me, please chip in $10 or any amount you can to help me defeat MAGA Tom Tiffany and deliver the Wisconsin every working family deserves.

    View ad on Meta ↗
  • Support$0–$99

    Mandela Barnes

    Paid for by Mandela for Wisconsin

    This race for Wisconsin Governor is a pure TOSS-UP. I’m fighting like hell to put in the miles we need to win this race. But without support from folks like you, we will fall short. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩. 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝗻 $𝟭𝟬 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘆’𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀? →

    View ad on Meta ↗
  • Support$0–$99

    Mandela Barnes

    Paid for by Mandela for Wisconsin

    This race for Wisconsin Governor is a pure TOSS-UP. I’m fighting like hell to put in the miles we need to win this race. But without support from folks like you, we will fall short. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩. 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗶𝗻 $𝟭𝟬 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘆’𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀? →

    View ad on Meta ↗

In the news about Mandela Barnes

Coverage a BadgerBrief editor reviewed and confirmed belongs here. We link out — we don’t summarize. How we handle coverage ↗

Sources

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