Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes is running to become Wisconsin’s first Black governor

“This moment demands bold leadership for Wisconsin. That’s why I’m running for Governor,” Barnes captioned with a campaign video released on Tuesday.

Mandela Barnes, Wisconsin’s first Black lieutenant governor, announced that he is running for governor in next year’s gubernatorial race.

“This moment demands bold leadership for Wisconsin. That’s why I’m running for Governor,” Barnes captioned with a campaign video released on Tuesday.

The campaign announcement opens with Barnes highlighting his father’s UAW Local 1866 union jacket, a symbol of the 39-year-old Democrat’s working-class campaign agenda.

“He wore it everywhere, because being a part of a union wasn’t just a job. It meant you looked out for each other. It meant you had each other’s backs, and back then, those were jobs that can afford you a home, support a family, and save for retirement. That’s not the case anymore,” said Barnes.

Criticizing President Donald Trump and the Republican Party’s agenda in D.C., Barnes said, “It seems like the harder you work, the more Washington looks the other way, lower taxes for billionaires, higher prices for working people under Trump.”

Displaying visuals of Trump, including an AI video of him placing a crown on his head, and the president’s recent demolition of the White House East Wing, Barnes asserted, “The name of the game has been distraction and chaos to avoid accountability.”

He continued, “It’s not about the real world. It’s a show, outrage, performances, everybody trying to go viral. Meanwhile, families doing everything right are still falling behind.”

The gubernatorial hopeful said the only way that Wisconsin can “move forward” is to “reject the Washington way and get things done the Wisconsin way.”

“It isn’t about left or right. It’s not about who can yell the loudest. It’s about whether people can afford to live in the state they call home, a state where you can afford your health care, where your kids can learn a skill and stay close to home, where a good day’s work earns a good day’s pay, and where families can not only get by but thrive,” said Barnes.

Referring again to his father’s union jacket, he added, “I’m running for governor because this jacket wasn’t just something my dad wore. It was a promise. We show up, we look out for each other.”

Mandela Barnes, who is named after South Africa’s first Black president, Nelson Mandela, served as Wisconsin’s lieutenant governor from 2019 to 2023. In 2022, he made history as the first Black American to win the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. However, he was defeated by incumbent Republican Senator Ron Johnson in a very tight race. Barnes lost by just 1% in the general election.

Barnes told theGrio at the time of the potential of making Black history in the statewide race, “Making history is fine, but making a difference is the most important thing.” He added, “Personally, it’s less about what it means to me and [more about] what it means for the next generation of people.”

Barnes isn’t the only Black candidate vying to be Wisconsin’s first Black governor. He is also running against David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, in a crowded primary.