Former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes has officially announced that he is running for governor of Wisconsin in 2026. He wants to take over from the current governor, Democrat Tony Evers. Barnes is a well-known Democrat in Wisconsin and is likely the front-runner in the party’s primary. His campaign focuses on issues like affordable living, supporting unions, and helping working families. But his campaign is also affected by controversies and his close loss in the 2022 U.S. Senate race, which will play a big role in this election.
The Shadow of the 2022 Senate Race
Barnes’s 2022 Senate race still affects his current campaign. In that election, he lost narrowly to Republican Ron Johnson. Johnson got 50.41% of the vote, and Barnes got 49.41%—a difference of just under 27,000 votes. Even though Barnes had a strong campaign and easily won the Democratic primary with 77.8% of the vote, some people called his policies “far-left” or “radical.” Some Democrats and Republicans wondered if he could win a tough general election.
The main criticism of Barnes in 2022—and now in 2026—is his progressive policy record. He worked on reforms in criminal justice and strong climate change plans. These policies are now seen as the “baggage” his campaign must handle.
Progressive Reforms and Republican Opposition
Mandela Barnes has a history of working with liberal and progressive groups. He was on the board of Citizen Action of Wisconsin from 2014 to 2018. This group supported his Senate campaign. During the 2022 campaign, he was criticized for criminal justice reforms like ending cash bail and reducing the prison population. Critics said these ideas were “soft on crime.” He also led Wisconsin’s Task Force on Climate Change and introduced 55 proposals in 2020 to fight global warming. Opponents often compare these ideas to the federal Green New Deal.
After Barnes announced his run for governor, Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany criticized him strongly. Tiffany called Barnes a “dangerous far-left extremist” and said Wisconsin voters already rejected him in 2022 and would do so again in 2026. This shows the main challenge for Barnes: he needs to keep his progressive supporters happy while convincing independent and conservative voters in Wisconsin. The state has been very close in the last three presidential elections.
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The Road Ahead for the Wisconsin Governor Race 2026
Barnes entered the race early, which helps him with name recognition and fundraising. Other Democrats running include Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. Even with advantages, winning is not guaranteed. His campaign is trying to shift from purely progressive ideas to a more practical economic message called the “Wisconsin Way.” Barnes wants to focus on affordability and middle-class issues, saying that national Republicans support “lower taxes for billionaires and higher prices for working people.” He also wants to show that his criminal justice and climate policies are practical and help everyday families.
The 2026 Wisconsin governor race will be one of the most watched and expensive elections in the U.S. Barnes’s past record will be the first issue debated. The main question will be whether voters see his progressive ideas as strong leadership or as the same agenda they narrowly rejected in 2022.
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