On Friday, July 17th, American Federation of Teachers Local 212, through its Committee on Political
Education (COPE), endorsed former Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes for Governor of Wisconsin.
The union represents full- and part-time faculty, academic professional staff, and MPBS
engineers & production specialists at the Milwaukee Area Technical College.


“There are a number of candidates on the Democratic ticket who would make excellent governors
and champion public education,” commented Steve Shea, Chair of Local 212’s COPE, “but none of
them has been in the trenches as long as Mandela Barnes fighting for all the issues MATC educators
care about, the very issues that impact our lives and those of our students.”


Electability against MAGA-supported Trump agenda ally Tom Tiffany was a prime consideration for
COPE. Added Shea, “Mandela was elected statewide in 2018 after campaigning in every county.
In 2022, MAGA had to spend $50 million to defeat him for U.S. Senate by a razor-thin margin
of just 1%, in a terrible year for challengers of incumbents due to inflation. We are confident he has
what it takes to beat Tom Tiffany.”


Shea explained that Barnes grew up in a union household and has a strong track record of
fighting for more resources for public education, including the Wisconsin Technical College System.
Shea concluded, “Our members have seen that Mandela as a legislator, community organizer, and
Lieutenant Governor led the charge for policies that address affordability and the housing crisis,
and against tax policies favoring the extremely wealthy, the very issues for which Tom Tiffany holds
positions diametrically opposed to the solutions the people of Wisconsin want and need.”