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<p><span style="font-weight:400">Former Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes abruptly dropped out of the Democratic primary for governor Thursday, minutes after reports surfaced that party officials were bracing for a damaging media story about him.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">“Last night I had a very difficult conversation with staff,” Barnes </span><a href="https://x.com/TheOtherMandela/status/2082894497839468849" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight:400">said in a social media video</span></a><span style="font-weight:400">. “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.”</span></p>
<p>Politico reported Thursday that Wisconsin Democratic officials were expecting negative media coverage involving Barnes. Minutes later, Barnes announced he was suspending his campaign.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">Republican political consultant Ryan Girdusky </span><a href="https://x.com/RyanGirdusky/status/2082897705769066937?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight:400">responded</span></a><span style="font-weight:400"> to the announcement by posting: </span><span style="font-weight:400">“Woah…. They’re really trying to wrestle this away from Francesca Hong.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">Hong, a 37-year-old state representative and dues-paying member of the Democratic Socialists of America, has emerged as the frontrunner in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, a race Republicans believe presents an opportunity to flip the governor’s mansion. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">Often compared to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Hong has campaigned on a </span><a href="https://francescahong.com/policy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight:400">Left-wing platform</span></a><span style="font-weight:400"> that includes abolishing ICE, imposing a one-year moratorium on data centers, creating government-owned grocery stores, and expanding government-funded childcare and paid family leave.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">Hong also supports legalizing marijuana to fund high-speed broadband, creating a state-run development bank, establishing a 32-hour workweek without reducing pay, restoring voting rights to felons, and dramatically reducing the role of prisons and police, as The Daily Wire previously reported.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">Hong’s rise has sparked concern from some establishment Democrats, who worry that nominating a Democratic socialist in a state President Donald Trump carried could improve Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany’s chances in the general election. </span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/governor/democratic-primary/2026/wisconsin" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight:400">Recent polling</span></a><span style="font-weight:400"> shows Hong holding a double-digit lead over established Democrats, including </span><a href="https://evers.wi.gov/Pages/Newsroom/About_Mandela.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight:400">Barnes</span></a><span style="font-weight:400"> and Milwaukee County Executive </span><a href="https://www.crowleyforwi.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight:400">David Crowley.</span></a><span style="font-weight:400"> Crowley briefly suspended his campaign before reviving it two weeks later with the backing of outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">Asked about Barnes’ surprise exit, Evers said he had learned of it only moments earlier. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">“I heard it about 30 seconds ago. Yeah, surprised,” he </span><a href="https://x.com/mattsmith_news/status/2082899728824508858?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight:400">told</span></a><span style="font-weight:400"> a local reporter before reaffirming his backing of Crowley. “He’s the best candidate running, even if Mandela was in.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight:400">Wisconsin’s Democratic primary is set for August 11. The contest is expected to test the strength of Democratic socialist candidates in the industrial Midwest following a string of recent victories in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Denver. </span></p>
<p><a href="https://polymarket.com/event/wisconsin-governor-democratic-primary-winner" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight:400">Prediction markets</span></a><span style="font-weight:400"> overwhelmingly favor Hong to win the primary. </span></p>
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<br /><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-surprise-exit-leaves-wisconsin-democrats-with-a-dsa-frontrunner">Source link </a></p>
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A Surprise Exit Leaves Wisconsin Democrats With A DSA Frontrunner
