Mandela Barnes is former Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor (2019-2023) and former state representative from Milwaukee (2013-2017). He narrowly lost a 2022 U.S. Senate race to Republican Ron Johnson by 1 percentage point, running 50,000 votes behind Gov. Evers. Barnes has the highest name recognition among Democratic primary candidates (56% in March 2026 polling) due to his statewide experience and high-profile Senate campaign. He runs Forward Together Wisconsin, a nonprofit harnessing clean energy investments, and leads Power to the Polls Wisconsin, which recruits poll workers.
Mandela Barnes was born in Milwaukee in 53206 zip code, one of the most impoverished and incarcerated communities in the country. He earned a bachelor's degree from Alabama A&M University in communication and media studies in 2008. He worked as a community organizer for the Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope. He was Wisconsin's first African American lieutenant governor and the nation's youngest lieutenant governor when elected in 2018.