Dem
47
GOP
53
Although Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) is not term-limited, Evers has decided not to run for a third term (unlike his neighbor, Gov. Tim Walz, DFL-MN, who is running for a third term). This decision opened a feeding frenzy in Wisconsin; about a dozen people are in so far and the night is young. The most recent entrant is former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes of Wisconsin, who wants a promotion to governor. He took a bit of a side trip in 2022 when he ran for the Senate and lost. That exercise has some ramifications for his gubernatorial run next year.
None of the candidates so far are especially well known or strong, so Barnes' entry will make a splash, even though the current lieutenant governor, Sara Rodriguez (D-WI), is already in. Barnes is Black and progressive, so that will excite part of the Democratic base. His problem is that in 2022 he ran against Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), who at first loudly proclaimed he would stay for only two terms, then ran for a third one and won. So Barnes wasn't able to beat an open and obvious liar. Many Democrats are now wondering how strong a general election candidate he really is in such an evenly divided state. The Milwaukee Courier, a Black-owned newspaper, ran an editorial in October entitled: "We Can't Afford to Lose in 2026—And We Can't Risk Another Mandela Barnes Loss." Not a great endorsement from one of the loudest Black voices in the state.
Barnes also has some advantages over his numerous rivals for the nomination. He is better known than most and has something of a national fundraising network. However, Senate races always pull in much more money than gubernatorial races because the former have national significance. So it is not yet clear if people who donated to him in 2022 because they hated Johnson will write him checks this time.
The state Democratic Party is already hard at work raising money. State law allows unlimited donations to the state parties, which can spend the money as they wish. This would help Barnes in the general election, but not in the primary. There he is on his own. (V)