威斯康星州前副州长曼德拉·巴恩斯于8月11日选举前两周宣布退出民主党州长初选竞争 [1]。巴恩斯表示，民主社会主义者弗朗切斯卡·洪已确保领先地位 [1]。民调数据显示，洪的支持率达38%，而巴恩斯仅为16% [1]。
巴恩斯的决定发生在威斯康星民主党启动调查之后 [1]。该党于2025年聘请律师事务所调查针对巴恩斯的匿名指控，指控称其利用党内职位追求与年轻女性的不当关系 [1]。调查最终认定这些指控因匿名性和表述不具体而无可实施的证据 [1]。
此次退出使巴恩斯成为该竞选中第三位离开的民主党候选人，前两位为副州长萨拉·罗德里格斯和米西·休斯 [1]。现任州长托尼·埃弗斯已支持大卫·克劳利重新参选 [1]。
Mandela Barnes, the former lieutenant governor of Wisconsin, announced his withdrawal from the Democratic primary for governor two weeks before the August 11 election [1]. Barnes cited the commanding poll lead of democratic socialist candidate Francesca Hong as his reason for stepping aside [1].
Hong holds a substantial advantage in voter preference, commanding 38 percent support compared to Barnes's 16 percent [1]. The departure marks the third time a Democratic contender has exited the race, following the earlier withdrawals of Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez and Missy Hughes [1]. The Wisconsin Democratic Party had initiated an investigation into anonymous allegations against Barnes in 2025, hiring an external law firm to examine claims that he had leveraged his party position to pursue inappropriate relationships with younger women [1]. However, the inquiry determined that the allegations lacked sufficient specificity and corroboration to constitute actionable evidence [1].
The race continues with David Crowley, who has secured the endorsement of Governor Tony Evers to reenter the competition [1]. On the Republican side, candidate Tom Tiffany has received backing from former president Donald Trump [1].