Barnes pulls off expected victory weeks after top Democratic primary opponents endorsed his campaign

Via WPR

After clearing the field of his top Democratic primary opponents, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes has won the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate Race, setting him up to challenge Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson in November. Barnes said he’s “grateful” to be the party’s nominee in one of the most closely watched Senate races in the nation.

After a win that was all but expected, Barnes took the stage during an election night party at The Cooperage in Milwaukee and told supporters that the fight to defeat Johnson would be both a challenge and an opportunity. 

“We have just over 90 days until the election,” he said. “We’re not going to let up, we’re not going to give up a single inch.”

Standing by Barnes’ side was Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin who won reelection in 2018 by nearly 11 percentage points. She said she believes Barnes would be a more effective partner in the Senate than Johnson. 

“Wisconsin deserves two senators who are going to vote to support Wisconsin workers and their families, not just one,” she said.