Some of Mandela Barnes’ former rivals sought to welcome his backers to their campaigns after the former lieutenant governor dropped out of the governor’s race, saying it’s clear who the Dem nominee will be.

In the video he posted on X yesterday, Barnes didn’t identify the candidate he believed was positioned to become the party’s nominee, and his campaign didn’t respond to follow-up questions. But state Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, has led in publicly released polling in recent weeks.

Hong in a statement praised Barnes for helping to grow the progressive movement. 

“To everyone who supported Mandela because you believe working people deserve a government that fights for them, I welcome you to our movement,” Hong said.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley got back into the race July 18 in what was seen as an effort to prevent Hong, a democratic socialist, from winning the party’s nomination.

“To everyone who backed Mandela: there’s a place for you in what we’re building,” Crowley said in a statement. “It’s going to take all of us to beat Tom Tiffany. Let’s get to work.”

A poll released Tuesday by Main Street Action, which represents small business owners, and UpNorthNews, a progressive media outlet, found 27% of Barnes votes named Crowley as their second choice, while 26% picked Hong.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported yesterday that it had asked Barnes’ campaign about allegations from anonymous sources that he used his role in the Dem Party to seek sexual encounters with young adult women.

Barnes’ departure was the latest dramatic twist in the race for the Dem nomination. Former WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes dropped out June 22 and endorsed Sara Rodriguez. Crowley then followed suit July 8 and backed the lieutenant governor only to reverse course after Rodriguez dropped her bid following revelations of financial irregularities with her campaign. The primary is Aug. 11, but early voting is underway.

Former DOA Secretary Joel Brennan said it was “unfortunate for voters that this primary has gotten more attention for chaos than the stakes of this election” as he vowed to continue focusing on reaching out to voters.

A spokesperson for state Sen. Kelda Roys, of Madison, who also remained in the race, focused on her qualifications.

“No drama, no baggage, just a lifetime of fighting bullies and billionaires and turning progressive ideas into law,” spokesperson Jalen Knuteson said.

The former lieutenant governor entered the race in December with the highest name ID of any Dem contender thanks to his unsuccessful 2022 U.S. Senate bid. But he failed to build on that initial advantage with disappointing fundraising numbers and a strategy that insiders said focused more on likely GOP nominee Tom Tiffany and a general election matchup than winning over primary voters.

The Marquette University Law School Poll out Wednesday found 38% of Dem primary voters backed Hong, while Barnes was at 16% and Crowley 7%. When undecided voters were pushed to pick a candidate, Hong’s support jumped to 46%, while Barnes was at 21%, Crowley 11%, and Brennan and Roys at 4% each.

Barnes dropping out of the governor’s race and saying it’s become clear who the party’s nominee is going to be came four years and one day after the last of his three rivals for the Dem U.S. Senate nomination left the race and endorsed him. Barnes went on to lose to GOP incumbent Ron Johnson.