Madison — Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes is the clear frontrunner for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin. This week, Barnes was branded a “budding star” by former Attorney General Eric Holder; polling showed that he holds a commanding 29-point lead over his Democratic opponents; and he earned what has been called “the biggest endorsement yet” in the race from Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Here’s what they’re saying about Mandela Barnes’ historic campaign for U.S. Senate:
Huffington Post: The Race To Replace GOP Sen. Ron Johnson In Wisconsin Begins With Mandela Barnes, By: Tara Golshan
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Eric Holder, the U.S. attorney general under President Barack Obama, described Barnes as a “budding star for the Democratic Party” and equated his authenticity to that of Obama’s.
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“The fact that he has the ability to use the bully pulpit for issues that are important — the fact that he has that… an undefinable thing,” Holder said, recounting his experience campaigning with Barnes over the course of a weekend in 2018. “Some people have it and some don’t, and he does. That ‘it’ thing. He’s got that.”
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“‘In many ways he [Barnes] was one of the most significant faces of the Democrats’ campaign,’ Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) said. ‘Even more than in 2018, in 2020 he stood out as the state spokesperson for the Democrats. That was an important role.’”
Fortune (40 Under 40): Mandela Barnes wants the Senate to look more like America, so he’s running, By: Nicole Goodkind
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“Barnes stands out from the field of mostly white, older candidates. And he thinks that will work to his advantage.”
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Barnes said, “‘the Senate time and time again hasn’t delivered for regular people in this country, has not delivered for working class people, and does not deliver for marginalized communities in the way that it should. That’s simply because of the lack of representation. If you have a whole bunch of people who are benefiting from a broken system, we can’t expect those same people to show up and push change.’”
The Hill: Internal poll shows Barnes with 29-point lead in Wisconsin Democratic Senate primary, By: Max Greenwood
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“Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes holds a 29-point lead in his state’s Democratic Senate primary, according to internal polling shared with The Hill that shows him cementing his status as the field’s likely front-runner.”
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The survey “shows the lieutenant governor leading across a broad swath of Wisconsin voters, including among both men and women, as well in each of the state’s media markets.”
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mandela Barnes gains Elizabeth Warren endorsement in Wisconsin U.S. Senate race, By: Bill Glauber
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“Mandela Barnes just grabbed the biggest endorsement yet in Wisconsin’s Democratic U.S. Senate race.”
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“‘Mandela has been a tireless advocate for people all across Wisconsin, and he’s the best candidate to defeat Ron Johnson and flip this seat in November,’ Warren said in a statement that came well ahead of next year’s midterms.”
