Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes, Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, has displayed an unprecedented ability to unite every corner of Wisconsin in the fight to ensure every person, regardless of their ZIP code, has a fair shot at the American dream.
Here’s what they’re saying:
TIME: Mandela Barnes Is Ready For What May Be Democrats’ Toughest Senate Race
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This, precisely, is why Mandela Barnes may be the best recruit Democrats have this cycle. Fresh-faced in a year voters consistently have said they want change, he is politically nimble enough to avoid splitting his Democratic Party in two, and he’s drawn high-profile pals to come join him on the trail like Sens. Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren.
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The result is stronger support for Barnes among Democrats than Johnson enjoys with his fellow Republicans. And among independents, it’s a statistical jump ball, according to Marquette University’s most recent polling. In a hypothetical head-to-head, Barnes has the narrowest of leads.
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“We won’t change Washington until we change the people we’re sending to Washington,” Barnes says after hopping on a stage and looking out at a packed room where supporters spilled into the sidewalk cafe.
The Washington Post: This young Wisconsinite could give Democrats a ‘real’ Senate majority
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Mandela Barnes could become a model for progressive and Black candidates if he wins Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate race this fall — and also give the Democrats a Manchin-and-Sinema-proof Senate majority.
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Barnes was able to get endorsements not only from progressive Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), but also from more center-left figures in the party, such as Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.) and House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.).
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How Barnes cleared this perceived electability bar could be an important lesson for progressive candidates and candidates of color, who are sometimes blocked by Democratic activists, donors and voters during primaries because of doubts about their general election chances.
MSNBC: Mandela Barnes: ‘Our democracy is on the line’
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The most important issue to this campaign is quite frankly rebuilding the middle class. It is about the people that Ron Johnson has forgotten about in every corner of the state of Wisconsin.
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Whether it is his threats to slash Social Security and Medicare, his disregard for our veterans that were impacted by burn pits, or even coming out against capping insulin costs, Ron Johnson couldn’t be more out-of-touch.
Cap Times: Mandela Barnes has earned the nomination
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In our view, Barnes has earned the nomination — not because other candidates have dropped out but because he has run a campaign that is deeply rooted in the best tradition of grassroots Wisconsin progressivism. He has run hard, traveling to every corner of the state. He has placed an emphasis on renewing the party’s fortunes in rural areas with his “Barnes to Barns” tour. And he has framed out a populist critique of politics-as-usual that suggests we need more working people and fewer millionaires — like Ron Johnson — in the U.S. Senate.
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We still hold the view that we expressed when we endorsed Barnes four years ago.
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“We do not often endorse in primaries,” we wrote then. “But we make exceptions for extraordinary candidates, and we believe Mandela Barnes is extraordinary. His bold progressive agenda, his energy and his ability to connect with voters across Wisconsin are needed in the campaign — and, if Democrats prevail, in state government come January.”
WISN: Mandela Barnes: ‘We’ve never been this united going into a big race’
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We’ve never been this united going into a big race like this, where there has been a contested primary. And I’ve had friends who were in this race, who were sharing their vision all across the state, and I think it made us much more united in our effort to not just beat Ron Johnson, but to do the work that he has refused to do over the last 12 years.
