Democrat Mandela Barnes launches bid for Wisconsin governor

Former Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes announced Tuesday that he will run for governor, joining a crowded Democratic primary race for the open seat in the critical battleground state

Former Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes announced Tuesday that he will run for governor, joining a crowded Democratic primary race for the open seat in the critical battleground state.

In a campaign launch video, Barnes, 39, who ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2022, pitched his candidacy as a way to push back against the "chaos" of President Donald Trump’s administration and promised to make affordability one of the main planks of his bid.

“Seems like the harder you work, the more Washington looks the other way: lower taxes for billionaires, higher prices for working people. Under Trump, the name of the game has been distraction and chaos to avoid accountability,” Barnes said in the video.

"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," he continued. "It isn’t about left or right, it isn’t about who can yell the loudest — it’s about whether people can afford to live in the state they call home. A state where you can afford your health care. Where your kids can learn a skill and stay close to home. Where a good day’s work can earn a good day’s pay.”

Barnes served as Wisconsin’s lieutenant governor from 2019 to 2023, becoming the first Black person to hold that office in the state. He previously served two terms in the state Assembly, representing a Milwaukee-area district.