The Wisconsin Senate primary election in August is slimming down, with one Democrat pulling out of the race and endorsing a rival.
Tom Nelson, the Outagamie County executive, announced his withdrawal on Monday, noting that his campaign ran out of money and throwing his support behind Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, “the one candidate who is not trying to buy this election.”
Barnes led polling for the Democratic primary in June, with 25% of voters supporting him, putting him ahead of Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry at 21%, state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski at 9%, and Nelson at 7%, according to a Marquette University Law School Poll.
“He and I had similar messages, and we had targeted a similar audience,” Nelson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel when asked if he would campaign with Barnes. “I’m going to give him my support, encourage my supporters to get behind him.”
SEN. RON JOHNSON BECOMES THE LATEST REPUBLICAN TO BACK SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BILL
We ran out of money. So I am suspending our campaign and endorsing the one candidate who is not trying to buy this election: #TeamMandela
You got our campaign this far, let’s get @TheOtherMandela across the finish line and beat Ron Johnson. /1
— Tom Nelson (@NelsonforWI) July 25, 2022
The primary elections for Wisconsin are set to be held on Aug. 9, with the winning candidate likely moving on to face Sen. Ron Johnson in the November midterm election. Barnes thanked Nelson for his endorsement on social media, claiming it is “going to take all of us coming together” to beat Johnson.
It’s going to take all of us coming together to beat Ron Johnson.
I deeply respect Tom Nelson’s commitment to the working people in this state and am thankful to have his endorsement. Together, @NelsonforWI, we’re going to send Ron packing! https://t.co/tIXUC8zyDC
— Mandela Barnes (@TheOtherMandela) July 25, 2022
Johnson, who was first elected to the Senate in 2010, is running for a third six-year term this November, and Marquette University polling in June showed him trailing slightly behind some of the top Democratic candidates in a face-off.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Johnson tweeted Monday that people “need to send a message to Joe Biden and the Democrats” and asked for voters to support him and the Republican Party to “take back the Senate.”
This November we need to send a message to Joe Biden and the Democrats that their policies are failing the American people.
Join me, help us take back the Senate, and restore American prosperity.
— Ron Johnson (@RonJohnsonWI) July 25, 2022
