Senate Candidate Mandela Barnes

(D-Wisconsin)

V4P Endorsed Candidate

Barnes is seeking election for a first term and challenging Sen. Ron Johnson

Barnes’ Membership in Under-Represented Communities: Black

Mandela’s story is a uniquely American story. He was born in Milwaukee, in one of the most impoverished and incarcerated zip codes in the state. 

His mom was a Milwaukee school teacher for 30 years. His dad worked 3rd shift at the General Motors plant. They were both active union members organizing for better wages and defending workers’ rights.

Mandela Barnes currently serves as Wisconsin’s 45th Lt. Governor. He is the first African-American Lt. Governor of Wisconsin and only the second African-American to be elected statewide.

Governor Evers recognized Mandela’s expertise and years of work on environmental issues by appointing him as chair of the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change.

Prior to serving as Lt. Governor, Mandela was elected to the State Assembly. He also worked as a community organizer in Milwaukee and served as Deputy Director of Strategic Engagement for the State Innovation Exchange, sharing progressive best practices with state legislatures across the country

Mandela serves on the Governor’s Health Equity Council, Wisconsin Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, Wisconsin Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force, the Governor’s Council on Financial Literacy and Capability, and the statewide 2020 Census Complete Count Committee.

Polling:

Polling has consistently showed Barnes leading the primary field and locked in a tight race with Sen. Johnson for the general election.

Recent polling of the race shows that this will be incredibly close until the end. A CNN poll released on October 24 found Sen. Johnson (R) narrowly leading Lt. Gov. Barnes by 1 point: 50-49.A Marquette poll released in early October found Johnson leading Barnes amongst likely voters, 52-46. Yet the same poll found that amongst registered voters, Barnes and Johnson were tied with 47% of the vote each. In two separate polls released since Barnes and Johnson are shown neck and neck. Barnes is up 1-point in a Clarity Campaign poll released by his campaign, which also shows him being up 10 points among the critical swing group of Independents, while Johnson has a 1-point advantage in the recently released public poll conducted by CBS News. 

 Polling shows that one of the most important issues to many Wisconsin voters is abortion, which became illegal under an 1849 law following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June. 

A Spectrum News/Siena College poll released in September found Barnes leading the race. Barnes secured 48% of the vote, while Johnson captured 47% of the vote. Meanwhile, an Emerson College poll released shortly after the Spectrum/Sienna College poll found Johnson leading over Barnes, 48-44. 6% of voters were undecided. Throughout the polling for this race, Johnson has only been able to capture over 50% in just two polls; once in a Marquette University poll from August (51%) and again in a Fox News poll released in August (50%).

A public poll released and conducted by Marquette Law School in June found Barnes leading GOP incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson 46-44. The poll also showed Barnes leading in the Democratic primary. Most notably, the poll showed Barnes as the leading candidate among independent voters, including over Johnson, and with the highest vote share of all Democratic candidates. 

Barnes’ Campaign Plan:

Born to two active union members in one of Wisconsin’s most impoverished and incarcerated zip codes, Barnes has shown the importance of hard work and fighting for opportunities for everyone. After serving two terms in the State Assembly, Barnes was elected the first Black Lieutenant Governor in Wisconsin’s history in 2018. Lt. Gov. Barnes is running for the U.S. Senate in Wisconsin to bring strong leadership to help Wisconsinites tackle issues around equality, and climate change. Barnes wants to push for bold and transformative change and to provide opportunities for everyone. 

Barnes’ campaign has a two-fold plan for victory in the primary and general elections. He wants to mobilize and garner significant voter turnout from young voters, voters of color, and progressive voters. His campaign is focusing in Democratic stronghold areas such as Madison and Milwaukee, where previous support in those areas helped deliver big wins for President Biden, Governor Tony Evers, and himself. The campaign will also focus on the rural areas of Wisconsin. Following Sen. Baldwin’s successful examples in 2012 and 2018, Barnes hopes to build strong relationships with voters in rural areas by speaking to the issues they care about. As the current Lt. Governor Barnes has traveled to all 72 counties, and has worked across party lines throughout the entire state. He believes this experience and the connections he has built across party lines have placed him in a position to compete in all parts of Wisconsin. Barnes believes that his recent statewide campaign success in 2018, both in the primary and general elections, also positions him well to be successful in 2022. 

In January of 2022, over 60 federal, state, and local elected officials throughout Wisconsin signed an op-ed in The CAP TIMES, calling on Democrats in the state to unite and support Barnes to defeat Sen. Johnson. The signers include U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi, state Rep. Jimmy Anderson, state Sen. La Tonya Johnson, Shorewood School Board member Paru Shah, Racine Alder Natalia Taft, among other more prominent Wisconsin leaders.  The op-ed highlights Barnes’ background stating “Barnes’ story and experiences can inspire people across Wisconsin, bridging the racial, geographical and political divides. He can connect with voters of this state in a genuine and credible way because so many of their experiences are his experiences.” 

In December, his campaign released the first progressive policy plan in the race. The plan highlights numerous progressive proposals including ending the filibuster, eliminating partisan gerrymandering, expanding voter rights, and making Election Day a national holiday. 

In March, Barnes released his “Make it Here” manufacturing policy plan . The plan outlines initiatives such as supporting the CHIPS Act to bring manufacturing jobs back to help revitalize urban and rural Wisconsin. This plan comes in response to Sen. Johnson’s public support of Oshkosh Corporation’s decision to move manufacturing jobs out of the state. His manufacturing plan has garnered support from labor leaders and workers. Furthermore, Barnes released a policy plan that outlines his plan to support Wisconsin’s small businesses. The plan discusses his plan to invest in rural small businesses and family farms, to crack down on corporate handouts, and to address bad trade deals. Barnes has hit the campaign trail in Beloit and Eau Claire visiting small businesses that have been negatively impacted from the COVID-19 pandemic. He met with small business owners to hear from them and highlight the work that needs to be done to elevate and support them. Barnes believes his strong progressive ideas can win in Wisconsin and improve the lives of all Wisconsinites. 

Barnes released his first TV ad in the Democratic race for Senate in May. Barnes’ ad discusses the impact surging inflation has on everyday Americans. The ad also refers to his opponents (Godlewski and Lasry in the primary and Johnson in the general) who have partially self funded their campaigns stating “I’m not like most senators or any of the other millionaires running for Senate.” Following the overturn of Roe v. Wade, Barnes released a multi-million dollar ad campaign on broadcast, digital, and cable throughout the state. The ad shares Barnes’ committment to codify Roe v. Wade and his mother’s personal abortion story.

In early October, U.S. Senator Ron Johnson (R) and Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes (D) squared off in two televised debates in Milwaukee. In the second and final debate, hosted on October 13, Barnes strongly defended abortion rights and argued that the nation, and Wisconsin, should revert to the abortion standards once protected by the Roe v. Wade decision. Barnes also pointed out, “In Ron Johnson’s America, women don’t have the right to make decisions about their most difficult healthcare decisions.” In the past, Johnson has suggested that women who don’t like the state’s abortion ban can “move elsewhere.” Barnes also passionately reminded voters of Johnson’s record of introducing tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy: “We are paying for that, working-class families are footing millionaire’s lifestyles, and it needs to stop!” The debate also took a personal turn when both candidates were asked what they admired about the other candidates. After Barnes commented (“The senator has proven to be a family man, and that is admirable.”), Johnson took the opportunity to complement Barnes’s parents’ upbringing. Yet the Senator switched things up quickly when he then remarked: “I guess what puzzles me about that is with that upbringing, why has he turned on America, and why does he find America awful.” The comment was met with adamant booing and also highlights the Senator’s willingness to distort the truth and employment of racist strategies he continues to use on the campaign trail.  

Following the second Wisconsin Senate debate, Barnes released a 30-second ad that spotlights Johnson’s association with Jan. 6. During Thursday night’s debate, Johnson repeatedly and falsely downplayed the violence at the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol that injured 140 police officers. 

The Fundraising Fight: 

The primary was quite competitive, as demonstrated in the fundraising chase.

In September, Barnes released a new ad following claims by his opponent, Ron Johnson (R),  that Barnes was lying about his taxes. In the creative ad, titled “Crumbs,” Barnes made it clear he supports a tax cut for the middle class and understands the struggle as there had been a time when he was getting by on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The ad also pointed out Johnson’s record in the Senate and how he approved a tax loophole that directly benefited him.

Additionally, in September, the John Fetterman and the Mandela Barnes campaigns launched a joint fundraising effort called Fight to 51, which aims to solicit money together across digital platforms as the two lieutenant governors both angle to be Democrats’ 51st vote in the Senate. The campaign will include joint email campaigns, digital ads, and promotional videos.

Barnes has been a strong fundraiser since he started his campaign, particularly in a crowded Democratic field. He raised over $2.1 million in the second quarter of 2022, including over $1 million in small dollar donations. Barnes had $1.4 million cash on hand at the end of the second quarter. Meanwhile, incumbent Ron Johnson raised $6.1 million in the second quarter of 2022, with a majority raised from large dollar donations by individuals. Johnson so far has raised a total of $17.1 million to date, and yet had only $3.5 million cash on hand. Even though Johnson has significantly outraised Barnes, this is not the first fundraising challenge for Barnes to overcome in this election. Prior to dropping out in July, Barnes’s main primary opponent, Alex Lasry (D), raised over $16 million mostly through self funding. Barnes has already proved that he can be successful even if he is outspent.  

Barnes raised over $1.7 million in the first quarter of 2022.  In January, Republican incumbent Sen. Johnson formally announced his candidacy for the 2022 Senate race. He raised nearly $6 million in the first  quarter of 2022. Barnes was the only democratic candidate in the primary whose fundraising continued to grow each quarter.

The Barnes campaign anticipates their general election budget to be between $30 million and $40 million. Barnes is building a state-wide coalition by working with local community and grassroots groups, which will include faith groups, issue advocacy groups, labor unions and groups representative of constituencies throughout Wisconsin. These partnerships, including early endorsements by the Working Families Party, MoveOn and Indivisible will be critical in a strong ground game and turning out voters, both in the primary and general elections.

The Cook Political Report rates the 2022 Wisconsin race as a Toss Up. Sen. Johnson has moved far to the right during his time in the Senate, most recently aligning himself with former President Trump. Senator Johnson held a committee hearing to investigate baseless election fraud complaints largely bolstered by Trump’s false claims. Additionally, Sen. Johnson objected to counting Arizona’s Electoral College votes on January 6. Sen. Johnson’s alignment has earned him an early endorsement from former President Trump. 

The 2022 elections will follow successful Democratic wins in the 2020 Presidential election and the 2018 Senate and Gubernatorial elections in the state. Prior to Trump’s win in 2016, no Republican presidential candidate had won in the state since 1984. Trump’s slim 22,748 votes win in the swing state set off a blue wave within state and federal elections in Wisconsin. In 2018, voters elected Democrats in two state legislative races that were previously held by Republicans and filled a State Supreme court seat with a liberal judge. Another huge win for Democrats was the election of Democrat Tony Evers in the 2018 gubernatorial race. Evers defeated Republican Scott Walker in his third-term run for Governor of Wisconsin, albeit by a rather narrow margin. Additionally, Democrat Tammy Baldwin was re-elected by a significant margin, holding off Republican challenger Leah Vukmir. This significant upset to Wisconsin Republicans revealed the rise in Democrat enthusiasm in the state. It also showed that Democrats are capable of winning big and narrowly, even in midterm elections.

To prevent repeating history, Democrats invested greatly in Wisconsin to help deliver the White House. Enaginging in Wisconsin paid off, as early voting records were shattered, and significant voter turnout was made in the urban southeast and rural north of Wisconsin, which voted decisively for President Biden. Democrats also believe that Trump’s mishandling of the pandemic contributed to voters distancing themselves from the GOP. Riding the blue wave in Wisconsin, Joe Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 Presidential election by a razor thin margin. Wisconsin Democrats hope that voters will again reject Trumpism by defeating Sen. Johnson. 

In early January, Sen. Ron Johnson announced he would seek re-election for a third term in the U.S. Senate.  Sen. Johnson, a close Trump ally and conspiracy theorist, launched his bid under the notion that America “is in peril” and Democrats’ policies are to be blamed. His announcement was followed by two TV ads that took aim at Democrats’ policies and his claim that “the Democratic takeover” caused him to abandon his plans to retire. In response, the DSCC launched a TV ad criticizing  Sen. Johnson’s governance, highlighting his work  manipulating the tax code, voting to spike the price of health care, and opposing the bipartisan infrastructure plan. Johnson’s announcement also prompted Senate Majority PAC, the Democratic Super PAC focused on winning Senate races, to place a $1 million ad buy in Wisconsin. The ads portray Johnson as a wealthy and corrupt politician, seeking to enrich himself and his friends. Other groups are also joining the airwaves to define Sen. Johnson. Opportunity Wisconsin, a progressive group, just debuted a new ad in the Green Bay-Appleton media market, hitting Sen. Johnson for his ties to the healthcare industry and his efforts to block lower prescription drug prices.  Ads focusing on Johnson’s fringe beliefs and conspiracy theories are expected to be a key element in the strategy for Democrats to vote him out. Sen. Johnson raised $906,289 in the third quarter, a total recognized as insubstantial for a two-term sitting Senator.  His re-election bid primes up a high-stakes Senate battle in the key purple state. In May, Wisconsin Democrats and national party leaders announced a joint effort midterm coordinate campaign to help re elect Gov. Evers and defeat Sen. Johnson. The campaign is in partnership with Evers’ campaign, the DSCC and state and national Democratic parties. The plan is to target rural parts of the state to mobilize communities of color, college students and tribal members.

Policy Priorities:

As gleaned from candidate’s submitted V4P Questionnaire, website and research by V4P staff

Strengthening our Democracy

• As Lt. Governor of one of the most gerrymandered states in the country, Barnes has helped lead “the charge for non-partisan reforms, fair maps, and access to the ballot box for every eligible vote.” 
• Barnes has indicated that he will fight to get secret money out of politics and supports the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act among others. 
• He also said that he supports overturning Citizens United, requiring funding disclosures from outside groups, and matching small-dollar contributions.
• Barnes supports abolishing the filibuster and granting statehood to the District of Columbia.

Championing a Healthy Climate and Environment

• Barnes was appointed Chair to Governor Tony Evers’s Task Force on Climate Change where he brought together a coalition “of farmers, environmental advocates, Indigenous leaders, and business executives” to produce 55 concrete strategies for how Wisconsin can begin to address the climate crisis.
• As Senator, Barnes would push to make Wisconsin a leader in renewable energy jobs, tackling the climate crisis and using that as an engine to drive the creation of good paying jobs across [the] state.”
• Barnes said that he supports transitioning to a 100% clean energy economy by 2050, achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions, decarbonizing the transportation sector, and ending fossil fuel subsidies. 
• He also supports efforts to strengthen environmental justice.

Health Care and Reproductive Justice

• Barnes believes that affordability is one of the most challenging issues facing access to health care claiming “insurance companies don’t even bat an eye when people have to give an arm and leg to just consider seeing a doctor.”
• As Lt. Governor, Barnes oversees the Governor’s Health Equity Council which works to eliminate health disparities throughout the state of Wisconsin by 2030 by addressing health disparities due to “race, economic status, education level, history of incarceration, and geographic location.”

• Barnes has indicated that he will support legislation to move the U.S. toward universal health care and will fight for health equity in policy decisions. 
• He supports reproductive justice and indicated he will support legislation to codify Roe v. Wade into law.

Ensuring Economic Justice for All

• Barnes supports limiting interest rates charged by payday loan companies as well “expanding a community education model that relies on increased parental accountability and creates ‘a more balanced, well-rounded approach to education.”
• Barnes will support legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $15, strengthen organized labor, and strengthen the care economy (paid family and medical leave, affordable child care, and home and community based services).
• He will also support efforts to cancel student loan debt.
• Barnes will support legislation to close tax loopholes that benefit the wealthy and corporations and will support a wealth tax. 
• He also will support permanently expanding the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). 

Ensuring Racial and Social Justice for All

• As a State Assembly member, Barnes became a “national leader on gun violence prevention” by supporting common sense gun safety reforms such as universal background checks, banning bump stocks, and “stopping the sale of weapons of war for personal use.” 
• Barnes recognizes the need for criminal and juvenile justice reform and has worked  alongside Governor Ever to propose several policy changes such as closing youth prisons. 
• Barnes will support a pathway to citizenship for immigrants and comprehensive federal justice, policing, and safety reform. 
• He will oppose efforts to ban or limit teaching of critical race theory, and will advance the discussion on reparations. 
• Barnes will cosponsor legislation to protect LGBTQIA+ people.

*Profile updated as of October 26, 2022