Wisconsin Democrat Mandela Barnes launches into overcrowded Senate primary



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On Monday, the most prominent Wisconsin Democrat to date joined his party’s increasingly crowded Senate primary in a crucial battlefield run in the 2022 midterm election that could end up deciding which party controls the room.

“Hard-working families deserve every opportunity, but politicians like fall short. Instead of changing our dreams, we need to change the game. Join us,” Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes tweeted, saying his candidacy for the Senate.

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“When you stay focused on why you are running, nothing can slow you down.” Barnes said he saw run through much of his announcement video. “We cannot be satisfied with what is. We have to reach for what can be, pushing hard every step of the way.”

Barnes, 34, a former state lawmaker, made history in 2018 by winning the election as Wisconsin’s first black lieutenant governor. He gained national attention last year following the police shooting of black man Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., As he lobbied for police reform and an end to the racial inequalities. In his video, Barnes pledged to fight for healthcare and education reforms, voting rights and the fight against climate change.

He now joins an estate of the Democratic Senate that includes State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, State Senator Chris Larson and Alex Lasry, a businessman whose family owns the Milwaukee professional basketball team. Bucks.

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The Senate is currently split 50-50 between the two main parties, but Democrats hold a slim majority in the chamber due to Vice President Kamala Harris’ decisive vote through her constitutional role as Speaker of the Senate.

Looking at next year’s card, the Republicans are playing a lot in defense. They are defending 20 of the 34 seats up for grabs in next year’s midterm elections, including having to protect five open seats where GOP incumbents retire. But the NRSC also sees strong pickup opportunities in Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, and New Hampshire.

The GOP may have a sixth seat to defend – as Johnson has yet to say whether he runs for a third term midway through 2022. The senator vowed in 2016 to serve only two terms, but he left open the possibility of representing oneself.

“I’m undecided,” he told reporters a month ago at a virtual Milwaukee Press Club event.

And Johnson reiterated he felt no pressure to decide anytime soon, repeating that he only launched his first Senate campaign in 2010 seven months before the election.

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Johnson was re-elected in 2016 by less than four points against former Democratic Senator Russ Feingold. But the other senator from Wisconsin – Democrat Tammy Baldwin – was re-elected in 2018 by almost 11 points.

Barnes and now-Gov. Tony Evers edged out GOP Governor Scott Walker and Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch in the same year. And now President Biden has narrowly captured the state in the election last November.

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