Yahoo Autos Wisconsin U.S. Senate election updates: Mandela Barnes, Ron Johnson sprint to finish
Wisconsin's race for U.S. Senate will be one of the most hotly contested in the country this fall, with implications for which party will be in control of the body in 2023. Incumbent Ron Johnson, a Republican, will face Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, the winner of the Aug. 9 Democratic primary.
This story will update with the latest developments in the race.
November 7: Mandela Barnes, Ron Johnson sprint to finish
Democrat Mandela Barnes started the final day of campaigning at a 6 a.m. shift change at Master Lock in Milwaukee while Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson rallied supporters in Stevens Point.
Despite the latest Marquette University Law School Poll showing him 2 points down among likely voters, Barnes sounded upbeat while speaking to volunteers at a home in Glendale.
"We're leaving no stone unturned," Barnes said. "All gas, no brakes..."
Barnes also embraced the role of underdog as he tries to unseat Johnson, who has served two terms.
"I've gone into every election I've ever been as the underdog," Barnes said. "So this is no different."
Barnes criticized Johnson's record on issues ranging from tax policy to abortion and said: "This is a fight for freedom, a fight for fairness."
Johnson had several stops planned including a rally outside the Waukesha County Expo Center featuring former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
In her speech, Haley said Barnes would "be a nightmare in Congress," bringing up his advocacy for cashless bail and reducing the inmate population in Wisconsin.
"You look at all the crime, that's what happens when you glorify criminals and beat up on your law enforcement," Haley said. "Ron Johnson has been fighting for our law enforcement every step of the way."
Johnson implored his supporters to get out and vote and to encourage others to cast ballots.
"Don't count anybody out," he said. "I don't care about past party affiliations. If the person you're talking to, you're trying to convince to go to the polls, if they love this country, if they're concerned about its future ... ask them to join us.in healing and unifying to save this country."
November 4: Cook Political Report moves race to Lean-Republican
For months, the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter listed Wisconsin's U.S. Senate race as a toss-up.
But heading into the campaign's final weekend between Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, the report moved the race rating to Lean-Republican.
What that means is it's still a competitive race but one party has the advantage.
Jessica Taylor, Senate and Governors editor for the Cook Political Report said while the most recent Marquette Poll showed a close race, Johnson leading by 2 points among likely voters, "we think the fundamentals favor Johnson when you look at the national environment."
Taylor added that Johnson has "improved his standing with voters" and several polls show him at 50% in the head-to-head matchup with Barnes.
October 26: Alexander Vindman in Wisconsin to back Barnes
For former national security aide Alexander Vindman, campaigning against Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson isn’t just political.
‘There's a personal element to it,” Vindman said. “You know, he made my life miserable.”
Vindman was in Oshkosh for a Wednesday night town hall sponsored by the Union Veterans Council and VoteVets, a liberal group that Vindman advises.
A retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, Vindman has blamed Johnson and others for ending his military career.
A retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, Vindman has blamed Johnson and others for ending his military career.
Vindman was a key witness in the first U.S. House impeachment of then-President Donald Trump. He listened in on the 2019 call when Trump asked Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to investigate Joe Biden while withholding U.S. military aid to the country. Trump later released about $400 million in military aid to Ukraine.
Since then, Johnson has blamed Vindman and others for helping embolden Russian president Vladimir Putin in the invasion of Ukraine.
“This election is going to be a referendum either for or against democracy,” Vindman said. “Electing somebody like Ron Johnson who is happy to set aside his Constitutional obligations for personal gain is extremely dangerous for this country in this moment when we’re still struggling with the legacy of Trump and Trumpism.”
Vindman said he was “deeply concerned” by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, signaling that Republicans takeover the House they would likely oppose more aid to Ukraine.
October 25: Barnes votes while Johnson leads rally
On the first day of early in-person absentee voting, Mandela Barnes cast his ballot in Milwaukee while Ron Johnson led a get-out-the-vote rally in Waukesha.
Barnes said one of the reasons he voted early was to "make sure people have trust and faith in the process."
"We're going to make sure all the ballots are counted; make sure that this is a safe and secure process," Barnes said after voting at the Clinton Rose Senior Center.
He said the race is "neck and neck" and that Democrats "aren't taking a single vote for granted."
Barnes also derided a Johnson campaign website seeking reports of suspected cases of voter fraud.
Meanwhile, Johnson said he's "a traditionalist" and will vote on Nov. 8 in Oshkosh. But he urged others to vote early.
He also said the integrity of the election is important. Republicans have raised doubts about confidence in election results despite recounts, court rulings and nonpartisan audits that confirmed Joe Biden's victory over Donald Trump in 2020.
Johnson said more than 5,000 Republicans have signed up as poll workers and the party has filled up more than 1,000 shifts for election observers.
"We're going to have eyes on the process," Johnson said. "I think that's the most important thing."
− Bill Glauber
October 21: Johnson calls Barnes 'unfit to serve' in Senate
Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson called his Democratic rival Mandela Barnes "unfit to serve” in the U.S. Senate because of a seven-year-old tweet in which Barnes commented on a post from Iran’s supreme leader.
Johnson also chided Barnes for several interviews he gave with Russian-funded TV in 2015 and 2016 during which Barnes, then in the state Assembly, denounced police violence.
“I think it’s disqualifying,” Johnson said. “I think he’s unfit to serve”
Barnes campaign spokeswoman Maddy McDaniel said: "This is laughable coming from Ron Johnson, who said he trusted the Ayatollah more than he trusted the president of the United States and had to be sat down by the FBI and told he might be a Russian asset.
Johnson was speaking after conducting a roundtable discussion with military veterans. Also at the event was Richard Grenell, the former acting director of national intelligence in the Trump administration.
Grenell expressed outrage over Barnes’ liking and commenting on a post in 2015 from Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
“For Mandela Barnes to be liking and commenting on tweets from the Iranian regime leader, who’s a killer, a denier of the Holocaust, a denier of basic women’s rights, someone who pushes gay people off buildings, that’s outrageous. That should bar him from ever being in the Senate,” Grenell said.
On Jan. 1, 2015, Barnes liked a tweet from Khamenei, who wrote: "The issue of US govt oppression against blacks is a 100s year-old issue,” and added the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.
In response, Barnes wrote: "The first tweet of 2015 from @khamenei_ir is #BlackLivesMatter. Let that sink in. May This be a most wonderful year for you and yours."
Johnson opposed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal with the U.S. and other world powers, which restricted Iran's nuclear program. Johnson was among 46 Republican senators to sign on to an open letter that Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, sent to Iranian leaders in an attempt to sink the deal.
At the time, Johnson told Bloomberg reporters and editors: "I suppose the only regret is who it's addressed to,'' adding, "But the content of the letter, the fact that it was an open letter, none whatsoever."
− Bill Glauber
October 21: Obama endorses Barnes in TV ad
Former President Barack Obama endorsed Mandela Barnes in a TV ad, calling the Democratic lieutenant governor “someone with humble roots, who understands the challenges folks are facing."
The ad comes as Democrats try to turn out voters for early in-person absentee voting, which begins Oct. 25. Obama will headline a Democratic rally in Milwaukee Oct. 29.
The rally will feature Barnes, Gov. Tony Evers and other top Democrats.
− Bill Glauber
October 19: Bernie Sanders to tour Wisconsin; Elizabeth Warren to visit Madison
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders will visit Wisconsin Nov. 4 and 5 to encourage college students to vote ahead of what are expected to be contentious races for governor and U.S. Senate in the state.
Sanders will make stops in Eau Claire, La Crosse and Madison on Nov. 4, his campaign confirmed to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, as part of NextGen America and MoveOn Political Action events geared toward mobilizing young voters.
The Independent from Vermont will be in Oshkosh Nov. 5 for a “community event,” the campaign said.
“It is about energizing our base and increasing voter turnout up and down the ballot,” Sanders told the New York Times. He noted he’s concerned about the “energy level for young people, working class people… And I want to see what I can do about that.”
When asked Wednesday if he’d appear with Sanders, Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes said he was not sure of the senator’s schedule.
“But as I've always said, people who are talking about rebuilding the middle class we're happy to have them here in this state,” Barnes said. “That's been our plan from the very start to do the work to represent people that Ron Johnson has left behind.”
Sanders endorsed Barnes in July.
Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, will headline an early-vote rally Oct. 26 at UW-Madison. Also scheduled to appear are Gov. Tony Evers, Attorney General Josh Kaul and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin.
Lawrence Andrea
October 16: Diane Hendricks gives $9.4 million to pro-Johnson Super PAC
GOP mega-donor Diane Hendricks contributed $9.4 million during the third quarter to Wisconsin Truth PAC, a group that backs U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson.
That upped Hendricks total investment in the group to nearly $16 million. Hendricks chairs Beloit-based ABC Supply and is a longtime Johnson backer.
Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein are also funding the group, which has aired millions of dollars in ads, most in opposition to Democrat Mandela Barnes. Through the third quarter, it has spent more than $20 million on the race.
The Johnson-Barnes race is the fourth most expensive senate contest in the country, according to AdImpact.
Other top donors to Wisconsin Truth PAC in the third quarter included banking heir Timothy Mellon ($5 million), and businessman Joe Ricketts ($1 million), whose family controls the Chicago Cubs.
ProPublica reported last year that a so-called pass-through tax break that Johnson pushed in 2017 tax legislation benefitted Hendricks and the Uihleins "$215 million in deductions in 2018 alone, drastically reducing the income they owed taxes on.
Johnson has defended his work on a tax break for small businesses and other so-called pass-through entities. In these businesses, profits pass-through to the owners who pay taxes on their personal returns.
— Bill Glauber
October 13: Down in polls, Mandela Barnes calls on Barack Obama for help
Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes is reportedly urging former president Barack Obama to join him on the campaign trail in his race against Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson.
Politico reported Thursday that Barnes’ campaign has reached out to Obama’s team to help boost his campaign in the closing days of the race.
The news comes one day after a Marquette University Law School Poll found that Johnson has surged to a 6-point lead among likely voters in his reelection race against Barnes. That was a stark change to the poll's findings when it came to registered voters, which showed Barnes and Johnson were tied at 47%-47%.
Obama has showed a unique ability to drive voter turnout in the City of Milwaukee, especially among Black voters.
-Mary Spicuzza
October 10: Mandela Barnes raised $1.5 million since debate
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes' campaign said it raised nearly $1.5 million since the lieutenant governor squared off with Sen. Ron Johnson in the race's first debate last Friday.
The sum came from about 30,000 new contributors, according to the campaign. Barnes has received more than 677,000 contributions during the current cycle.
The announcement comes days after Barnes said he raised more than $20.1 million over the last three months.
Johnson and Barnes next debate Thursday night at Marquette University's Varsity Theatre. The event will run from 6 to 7 p.m. Central Time. WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) will have the broadcast.
— Lawrence Andrea
October 8: Planned Parenthood President backs Mandela Barnes
Planned Parenthood leader Alexis McGill Johnson vowed "we are going to make sure that Ron Johnson is no longer in the Senate," as she came to Milwaukee to appear alongside Mandela Barnes at a rally at his old school, Marshall High School.
"Taking control starts right here," McGill Johnson said. "It begins by making Mandela Barnes the 51st vote in the U.S. Senate and sending Ron Johnson back home."
The event was part of the Barnes campaign's "Ron Against Roe" tour as the Democrat focuses on restoring abortion rights after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said the abortion issue resonates with voters as they prepare for the fall midterms.
"We know that the voters of Wisconsin care about access to abortion," she said.
U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, was critical of Johnson's stance on abortion — the senator praised the high court's decision to overturn Roe. She even created a rhyme that began, "Liar, liar, pants on fire. Ron Johnson has got to retire."
Johnson spokesman Ben Voelkel said Barnes "is a true extremist on abortion," saying the lieutenant governor opposes "all restrictions."
"Just like with his support for defunding the police, ending cash bail and letting criminals walk free, and the job-killing socialist Green New Deal, Lt. Gov. Barnes is too extreme for Wisconsin," Voelkel said in a statement.
— Bill Glauber
October 5: Mandela Barnes raised more than $20.1 million in third quarter
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes' campaign announced a big fundraising haul during the last three months — more than $20.1 million.
The amount nearly tripled the $7 million total that Barnes previously raised throughout the race.
The campaign did not announce how much cash on hand it had at the end of September, the close of the third quarter.
The campaign said it received contributions from 230,000 individual donors and did not take any corporate PAC money.
— Bill Glauber
October 3: Scalise says Barnes 'doubled down' on tweet; Johnson cuts ad
House GOP Whip Steve Scalise on Monday continued to admonish Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes for a 2017 tweet about the Louisiana lawmaker and attacked the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate on what has become a key talking point for Republicans: crime.
Scalise on the Dan O'Donnell radio show said it was "bizarre" Barnes wouldn't apologize for writing on Twitter five years ago that Scalise was "taking one for the team" by continuing to support gun rights after being shot at a practice for a Congressional Baseball Game that year.
After the post resurfaced as part of a Journal Sentinel analysis of the Democrat's 18,400 tweets, Barnes called gun violence "a very personal topic," adding: "My comments came from a place of frustration with politicians like Ron Johnson who see gun violence happen everyday and turn their backs on solutions that would keep people safe."
On Monday, Scalise said Barnes "doubled down" on his tweet with the comment.
"And this is the thing I think people are tired of, is, you know, you can’t even admit when you’re wrong and then you continue to go down this rabbit hole instead of saying, ‘You know what? Any kind of violence is wrong,'" Scalise told Dan O'Donnell.
"He can’t do it," he added. "He can’t bring himself to admitting he was wrong, and it shows a real lack of character."
The Republican congressman echoed attacks from U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson accusing Barnes of being soft on crime. He referenced, in part, Barnes' call to end cash bail.
Scalise's latest comments came the same day Johnson's campaign released an ad about the tweet, calling Barnes' post callous.
"Barnes isn't fit to be a senator," the ad said.
— Lawrence Andrea
September 30: Scalise calls Barnes' 2017 tweet 'disgraceful'
Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes is standing by an old tweet in which he said House GOP Whip Steve Scalise was “taking one for the team” by continuing to support gun rights after being shot at a practice for a Congressional Baseball Game in 2017.
The Journal Sentinel mined Barnes' 18,400 tweets over the past decade to see what the first-term Democrat had been saying on social media. Barnes is challenging Republican Sen. Ron Johnson in November.
Among the tweets was one in which Barnes criticized Scalise, a Louisiana Republican, for saying the mass shooting, which nearly killed him, hadn't changed his views on gun control.
Barnes responded on Twitter: "Taking one for the team. I question how people vote against self interest but this is next level. He literally almost died on this hill."
This week, Punch Bowl News asked Scalise for his thoughts on the tweet. He didn't mince words.
"That’s disgraceful. It says a lot more about his lack of character to be in essence condoning political violence. All of us should be standing up against political violence," Scalise said. “To say something like that, Barnes really needs to look in the mirror and reevaluate his lack of character.”
In a statement, Barnes didn't apologize for his remarks.
"This is a very personal topic for me as someone who has experienced the pain of losing friends and loved ones to gun violence," he said. "My comments came from a place of frustration with politicians like Ron Johnson who see gun violence happen everyday and turn their backs on solutions that would keep people safe."
Polls show the race either tied or Johnson with a slight lead. At least $89 million has been spent on the race since the August primary, according to AdImpact Politics, which tracks TV buys in major races.
— Daniel Bice
September 30: Barnes schedules Oct. 8 Milwaukee rally with Planned Parenthood President
A day after the planned first debate in the Wisconsin U.S. Senate race, Mandela Barnes campaign has scheduled an Oct. 8 rally in Milwaukee with Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
The time and location of the event will be announced at later date.
Also, at night on Oct. 8, Barnes will appear at a Planned Parenthood membership event in Madison. Details are being finalized.
Abortion is a key issue in the race in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.
— Bill Glauber
September 29: 2 groups call B.S. on Ron Johnson's climate stance
Last year, Ron Johnson mouthed to a Republican group that climate change is "bulls---t."
So, two groups seeking to chide Johnson on climate and other issues staged a rally outside the Federal Courthouse in Milwaukee.
And they brought along a rather unique prop, a Johnson statue with a head cast in manure (a mixture of cow and horse manure with some resin) and placed atop a suited mannequin. Manure was liberally applied to the suit and shoes.
The work was created by Susan Bell, a manure artist from Colorado, said Alexis Martinez, campaign manager at MoveOn, a progressive group.
Martinez accused Johnson of not taking climate change seriously and said the manure statue was designed to "call out Senator Johnson's B.S. and push the people of Wisconsin to vote for the senator that they deserve," Mandela Barnes.
"Not only is climate change real, but it's at our doorstep," said Sonja Chojnacki, state director for NextGen PAC, which tries to appeal to younger voters.
— Bill Glauber
September 28: Kevin Nicholson-led PAC to aid Ron Johnson
Three months after dropping out of the Republican race for governor, business consultant Kevin Nicholson is still trying to drum up votes for a key GOP candidate.
That would be Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson.
The Nicholson-led No Better Friend PAC, a federal political action committee, plans on spending $1.7 million to target conservative voters through mail, digital, phones and door-knocking.
Among those the group is trying to encourage to get to the polls are those who voted in 2016 and 2020 but who might normally skip midterms.
"This is an important cycle and there's a massive difference between the way Ron Johnson views the future of this country and the way Mandela Barnes views the future of this country," Nicholson told the Journal Sentinel.
Nicholson said the aim is to get around a quarter-million voters to go to the polls "who support common sense."
— Bill Glauber
September 27: Ron Johnson endorsed by Milwaukee Police Association
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson on Tuesday announced an endorsement from the Milwaukee Police Association as he continued to paint his Democratic opponent as weak on crime.
In a phone call with reporters, Johnson emphasized the need to provide resources to police and claimed anti-police rhetoric from Democrats has led to law enforcement recruiting struggles.
He revived his attacks on Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and dismissed claims from Democrats that he's voted against bills that would provide funding for police.
Most of the bills cited recently by the Barnes campaign were omnibus legislation that contained many provisions beyond being related to the police.
When asked about accusations that ads aired opposing Barnes could be considered racist, Johnson said he doesn't "see anything racist about the ads," adding that there is "nothing wrong with pointing out the record of your opponent."
"This is right out of the Democrat playbook," Johnson said. "They have no problem playing the race card... It's very divisive."
Andrew Wagner, president of the Milwaukee Police Association, noted the rising homicide rate in the city as he said Johnson understands that criminal behavior "must have consequences."
The endorsement from the organization that represents mor 1,400 sworn Milwaukee police officers comes a week after Johnson's campaign received the endorsements of more than half the sheriffs in Wisconsin.
That same week, Barnes scrubbed two law enforcement endorsements from his campaign website after one officer said he hadn't endorsed the Democrat and another claimed he didn't know his name and title would be used for an endorsement announcement.
— Lawrence Andrea
September 23: Mandela Barnes agrees to second televised debate
It looks like there will be at least two TV debates as Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes' campaign said the candidate will participate in a Wisconsin Broadcast Association event.
Previously, the Barnes campaign agreed to a debate hosted by WTMJ-TV (Channel 4).
Johnson accepted invitations to both those debates, plus a town hall-style event being put together by WISN-TV (Channel 12).
For now, the debate schedule looks like this:
Wisconsin Broadcast Association, Oct. 7 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
TMJ4 debate sponsored by Wispolitics.com, 620 WTMJ, and Milwaukee Business Journal, Oct. 13 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Barnes has also accepted an invitation to the Oct. 24 forum hosted by Main Street Alliance and the Wisconsin Farmers Union in Oshkosh. Johnson has not accepted an invitation for that event.
— Bill Glauber
September 21: Ron Johnson endorsed by 51 county sheriffs
Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson's campaign said the candidate has received endorsements from 51 county sheriffs in Wisconsin.
The list includes Democrats Paul Susienka of Bayfield County and Nancy Hove of Pierce County, who are not seeking re-election.
The announcement came in the same week as Johnson's rival, Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, scrubbed two law enforcement endorsements from his campaign website.
— Bill Glauber
August 16: Diane Hendricks to host Ron Johnson fundraiser
GOP mega-donor Diane Hendricks will host a fundraiser in Beloit for Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson.
Hendricks, who chairs Beloit-based ABC Supply, is a longtime Johnson supporter. During this cycle, she has already given $6.5 million to Wisconsin Truth PAC, a group that backs Johnson.
Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein are also funding the group that has already spent millions of dollars in TV ads to boost Johnson.
ProPublica reported last year that a so-called pass-through tax break that Johnson pushed in 2017 tax legislation benefitted Hendricks and the Uihleins "$215 million in deductions in 2018 alone, drastically reducing the income they owed taxes on.
"At that rate, the cut could deliver more than half a billion in tax savings for Hendricks and the Uihleins over its eight-year life. Just 82 ultrawealthy households in America collectively walked away with more than $1 billion in tax savings."
Johnson has defended his work on a tax break for small businesses and other so-called pass-through entities. In these businesses, profits pass-through to the owners who pay taxes on their personal returns.
“My support for ‘pass-through’ entities — that represent over 95% of all businesses — was guided by the necessity to keep them competitive with large publicly held ‘C-corporations’ and had nothing to do with any donor or discussions with them," Johnson said in an Aug. 2021 statement.
— Bill Glauber
July 30: Alex Lasry ad targets Ron Johnson
Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry may be out of the race but his TV ad dollars are still in play.
Lasry's campaign released a new ad that accused Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson of shipping jobs out of Wisconsin. The ad buy — close to $600,000 — will run in the Madison, Milwaukee and Green Bay markets.
In a statement, Lasry said: “I’m calling for all Wisconsin Democrats to come together now behind Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes and make sure we have a laser focus on beating Ron Johnson and reelecting Governor Tony Evers this November — which is why I’m setting the tone by significantly investing in the future of this race and Wisconsin."
July 28: Barnes gets big cash haul in last 24 hours
With the Democratic senate field clearing, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes is stepping up fundraising.
His campaign announced Barnes raised nearly $220,000 in the last 24 hours. The total comes in the wake of Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry's withdrawal Wednesday. Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson exited Monday.
Barnes raised $2.1 million in the second quarter.
“We’re seeing unprecedented momentum and excitement behind this campaign because voters across the state know Mandela is the strongest candidate to take on Ron Johnson in November,” Barnes campaign communications director Maddy McDaniel said in a statement.
— Bill Glauber
July 27: Godlewski says she intends to stay in race after Lasry drops out
After Wednesday's news that Democratic contender Alex Lasry was dropping out of the primary for U.S. Senate and throwing his support to Mandela Barnes, state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski told reporters in Madison should would remain in the race through Aug. 9.
Lasry, who had been running second in the polls, threw his support to front-runner Mandela Barnes.
"I'm not changing; there's nothing new here," Godlewski said.
"To me, it's always been about beating Ron Johnson and who is the best candidate to do that," she added. "That's why I'm in the race."
July 26: Lena Taylor endorses Sarah Godlewski
State Sen. Lena Taylor is backing state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.
It's a newsy nugget since Taylor handed Mandela Barnes a loss six years ago in a state Senate primary.
“Sarah Godlewski shows up for Wisconsinites everywhere all the time, not just during an election year, which is why I’m proud to endorse her campaign for U.S. Senate," Taylor said in a statement. "Not only is she the candidate who can actually beat Ron Johnson and fix the Senate, but she also has a proven record of standing up for Wisconsin working families and prioritizing the challenges they are facing. This is exactly the no-nonsense mentality we need in Washington."
Godlewski welcomed the endorsement.
“As a champion for her community her entire life, Senator Taylor knows we can’t afford another six years of Ron Johnson, and that our campaign is the only one building a true, 72-county grassroots movement focused on commonsense solutions for all of Wisconsin," Godlewski said.
— Bill Glauber
July 20: Psychiatrist gives $1 million to pro-Mandela Barnes group
Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes says there are too many millionaires in the U.S. Senate, but the Democratic candidate apparently doesn't mind having them as supporters.
Karla Jurvetson, a Silicon Valley psychiatrist and Democratic mega-donor, last month gave a onetime contribution of $1 million to Courageous Leaders, a super PAC backing Barnes. The winner of the Democratic primary Aug. 9 will challenge Republican Sen. Ron Johnson in November.
Courageous Leaders reported that it had spent $870,691 by the end of June, much of it on TV ads in the Milwaukee and Madison media markets. Federal records show the group, based in Washington, D.C., has spent nearly $250,000 in Milwaukee.
Before the ads were placed, Barnes' campaign put a message box on its website spelling out what it would like a TV spot to say and where it should run — an increasingly popular tactic that allows campaigns to work legally with outside groups.
OpenSecrets reported recently that Jurvetson has already given more than $1.6 million, all of it to Democratic and liberal candidates and causes, since January 2021. She has contributed more than $122,000 to Wisconsin Democrats, including $20,000 to Barnes, since 2018.
Jurvetson did not respond immediately to a call.
Barnes' campaign had no comment.
— Daniel Bice
July 18: Bernie Sanders endorses Mandela Barnes
A day after the first big televised event of the campaign, Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes just got another big endorsement, earning the backing of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders.
“His agenda advances the interests of working families, not the billionaire class. I’m proud to endorse Mandela because he is the best positioned progressive candidate who will win both the primary and defeat Ron Johnson in November," Sanders said in a statement issued by the Barnes campaign.
