Wisconsin voters will have a very big decision to make next year. Incumbent Democratic Governor Tony Evers announced over the summer that he will not be seeking reelection. That left the door wide open for Republicans to retake the seat, which would give the GOP total control of state government.
But Democrats don't plan to give up without a fight. The Democratic primary field is crowded and includes Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Melissa Hughes, and state Senator Kelda Roys.
Another name being floated for the Democrats is Mandela Barnes. Barnes served as Lt. Governor for Tony Evers during his first term and left the position to run against Republican Ron Johnson for the U.S. Senate.
Barnes lost that race.
Now, members of Wisconsin's Black-owned Milwaukee Courier and The New York Times are calling on Barnes to stay out of the race.
Amid rumblings Mandela Barnes is set to run for governor, the Black-owned Milwaukee Courier has published an editorial advising him against it.
— A.J. Bayatpour (@AJBayatpour) October 22, 2025
"...who’s asking for Mandela to run again? It’s not the people here in Milwaukee."https://t.co/KfQbfWgPK3
He was our Lieutenant Governor. He had every advantage. The primary field cleared for him to be the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate. And still—he lost. By just over 26,000 votes. That alone might be forgivable.
But let’s not forget the part that too many gloss over: he ran 50,000 votes behind Governor Tony Evers in that same election. In Milwaukee County—where Mandela is from—he still ran behind Evers.
That’s the hard truth: even here, he couldn’t finish the deal.
Now, we’re hearing that Mandela is preparing to run for Governor in 2026. With Donald Trump back in the White House, rolling back civil rights and gutting everything we care about, we cannot afford a risk. Not now. Not with the stakes this high.
The New York Times shared a similar view of Barnes, citing his previous electoral failures as a reason to stay out of the race.
Mr. Barnes plans to enter the race for governor as well, according to two people who have spoken with him recently. Publicly he has said he is considering joining the race and will announce a decision in the coming weeks.
Through an aide, Mr. Barnes declined to be interviewed.
The apprehension about Mr. Barnes, 38, is less about his age or a connection to a detested party establishment than it is about a desire to avoid renominating a candidate who recently lost.
...
Dave Cieslewicz, a former Madison mayor, said there were fond feelings in the party for both Mr. Barnes and Ms. Harris, though he said there was little desire to build a new campaign around either of them.
“I was happy to vote for her, but I wouldn’t support her again for the nomination because I don’t think she can win,” Mr. Cieslewicz said. “It’s the same kind of calculation I’m making about this race for governor.”
Milwaukee radio host Dan O'Donnell put it more bluntly: Barnes would lose, and Democrats know it.
The Milwaukee Courier, a prominent black publication, is openly urging Mandela Barnes not to run for governor. A day earlier, the New York Times did the same. Why? They know he can't win. pic.twitter.com/mUzXdlHbfS
— Dan O'Donnell (@DanODonnellShow) October 23, 2025
"Yikes. This is openly saying, 'Do not run, Mandela,'" O'Donnell said. "My guess is they're behind David Crowley, who has the most to lose from a Mandela run."
O'Donnell continued, "Yes, it is just because they are both Black males. That is absolutely how Democrats run their primary. If you are a Black male, you had better be the chosen Black male, or you are not going to be able to play the role of Black male in the Democrat primary."
"I honestly don't know who Democrats are going to coalesce around," O'Donnell remarked. "It might have to be Sara Rodriguez almost by default. Or it might have to be David Crowley almost by default. The party's rank and file clearly wants Man-deadbeat Barnes. And I just don't see that really changing."
"Polls this early in an election cycle almost always favor the last known candidate because there's just no name ID among any of these," O'Donnell added, which would give Barnes an early boost in the polls. "The point is that Mandela probably benefited from the fact that nobody knows who this current crop of gubernatorial candidates really is, so they're saying 'Who do you like?' and they say the last guy that they remember voting for that wasn't Tony Evers. And that's Mandela Barnes."
Barnes is a radical progressive who supports cashless bail, gun control, and climate change legislation. He would be a disaster as governor, and it seems some on the Left know it. But it also seems the Democrats are gearing up for a brutal primary, which iwll only help the Republicans.
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