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The WisDems endorsed Mandela Barnes for U.S. Senate. [1]

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Date: 2022-07-31

Wisconsin has a big job this fall: we’ve got to defeat Ron Johnson. And yesterday, the WisDems are endorsing Mandela Barnes and moving directly into the general election battle to win this November.

Chip in to help.



Mandela grew up in Milwaukee in a proud union family—son of a public school teacher and a UAW auto worker who worked third shift. His Milwaukee zip code, 53206, was one of the most impoverished and incarcerated in the country—but unions made anything possible. He's here to work.

x I will fight just as hard for you as you fight for your families. Just as hard as my parents fought to open doors for me. Because we all deserve our shot at the American Dream. pic.twitter.com/HAvsraFMrH — Mandela Barnes (@TheOtherMandela) June 9, 2022

Mandela’s faced down the GOP machine in Wisconsin, and won. He and now-Governor Tony Evers defeated Scott Walker and Rebecca Kleefisch in 2018 by mobilizing voters in every community across our state. This year, they’ll beat the GOP again.

x In @TammyBaldwin, we have a Senator who’s fighting for Wisconsin. She needs a partner in D.C. @TheOtherMandela & I have done a lot of good work these past few years, but there’s more to do. I’m proud to endorse him for the U.S. Senate. pic.twitter.com/sJmXGGYp0i — Tony Evers (@Tony4WI) July 29, 2022

Ron Johnson may be a self-serving disaster as a Senator with an approval rating stuck at 37%, but we can’t underestimate him. It’s going to take all hands on deck to win this November. Contribute to support the fight.

Just a week ago, Wisconsin faced a contested primary, in which the Democratic Party of Wisconsin was neutral. But over five days, three of the top-polling four candidates dropped out and endorsed Mandela, instantly consolidating the race.

Tom Nelson suspended his campaign on Monday, urging voters to back Mandela Barnes:

x Today I am suspending my campaign for the U.S. Senate. I am so thankful for the work that we have done and the movement we have built.



On August 9th, Wisconsin will choose a progressive champion to be our nominee. Let's go @TheOtherMandela! pic.twitter.com/K6YdF8TDag — Tom Nelson (@NelsonforWI) July 25, 2022

Alex Lasry ended his campaign on Wednesday and endorsed Mandela as well:

x The stakes are just too high to wait.



The single best thing we can do for Wisconsin—and for America—is to beat Ron Johnson, and that must start now.



Today, I am ending my campaign and endorsing my friend @TheOtherMandela to be the next great Senator from the State of Wisconsin. — Alex Lasry (@AlexLasryWI) July 27, 2022

And Sarah Godlewski concluded her campaign on Friday morning, urging Democrats to get behind Mandela and join hands in the fight:

x Over a year ago, I got in this race to beat Ron Johnson and return this Senate seat to the people of Wisconsin. Today, the only thing that has changed is how we get there.



If we want to send Ron Johnson packing, we need to get behind @TheOtherMandela and fight together. 1/ — Sarah Godlewski (@SarahforWI) July 29, 2022

Ron Johnson, seeing that Mandela Barnes was going to be his opponent in November, immediately went on the attack. Meanwhile, Gov. Evers, Senator Tammy Baldwin, and Wisconsin’s House Democrats all endorsed Mandela.

x Wisconsin, I am so excited to share with you that I am endorsing @TheOtherMandela in his campaign for U.S. Senate. I hope you join me in giving Mandela your full support. I cannot wait to serve with him as your Senators from Wisconsin. Let’s get this done! pic.twitter.com/AU9bezgra3 — Tammy Baldwin (@tammybaldwin) July 29, 2022

The WisDems constitution empowers party units to request an endorsement in contested primaries in unusual circumstances. This situation is highly unusual. While the primary election is on August 9 and other candidates remain on the ballot, the general election is already underway.

Accordingly, local WisDems units called for an endorsement vote, and yesterday, our statewide Administrative Committee voted overwhelmingly to end our neutrality in this race, endorse Mandela Barnes, and begin the general election fight. That work starts now.

All of the candidates in the primary—those who’ve concluded their races and those still running—have run spirited, overwhelmingly positive campaigns, and have earned our gratitude and appreciation.

To defeat Ron Johnson and send Mandela Barnes to the Senate will take a massive mobilization of Wisconsinites who are tired of a senator just out to serve himself.

We’ll persuade and turn out voters in every community, across race and place, throughout our great state.

We’ve been working for the last two years to ensure that Wisconsin voters know just how terrible Ron Johnson is, and prepare for the nominee. That ramps up. Meanwhile, Alex Lasry is still running a wave of ads about Ron Johnson—thanks!

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/7/31/2113616/-The-WisDems-endorsed-Mandela-Barnes-for-U-S-Senate

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