Today, the Mandela Barnes for Wisconsin campaign announced it has raised over $1,397,000 with donations from all 72 counties. In addition, an independent expenditure backing Barnes separately reported raising nearly a million dollars, meaning more than $2.2 million has been raised to elect Mandela Barnes as Governor.
Barnes’ campaign is up on TV with six-figures behind “Wisconsin Way.” The independent expenditure also has a half a million dollars behind a TV buy, on top of an additional six-figure statewide digital ad campaign.
“Without taking a dime of corporate PAC money, our campaign amassed the resources we need to communicate on air to Wisconsin voters, most of whom already know Mandela very well,” said Campaign Manager Darby O’Connor. “Mandela offers voters exactly what they’re looking for. He’s a progressive fighter, with a long record of taking on the political establishment, and polls show he’s in the strongest position of the field to win the general election.”
With donations from all 72 counties in Wisconsin, 12,855 individual donors, and an average grassroots donation of $23.88, the Barnes campaign is built on a broad coalition of grassroots support.
In recent internal polling from the Barnes campaign and even internal polls from his opponent Sara Rodriguez, Lt. Governor Barnes is leading the primary field.
Since the filing deadline, Barnes has already raised over $150,000 in additional direct contributions to his campaign as donors coalesce around a vetted candidate ready for prime time.
Lt. Governor Barnes has received a strong slate of endorsements reflecting the energy behind his candidacy, including from United States Senator Adam Schiff, End Citizens United, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1473, NRDC Action Fund, The Next 50, Collective PAC, and dozens of local and state leaders.
