Schiff-backed candidate abruptly ends gubernatorial campaign amid rumblings of a damaging report

By Fox News · Fox News

Mandela Barnes, who served as Lt. Governor of Wisconsin from 2019 to 2023, suspended his gubernatorial campaign on Thursday, citing a lack of support to capture the Democratic Party nomination. "It’s become very clear who our nominee is going to be," Barnes said in a statement. "While I may be suspending my campaign, I’ll never give up my fight for Wisconsin," he continued. WISCONSIN DEM SOCIALIST GUBERNATORIAL HOPEFUL DODGES WHETHER SHE STILL WANTS TO ‘ABOLISH POLICE’ Barnes, who was endorsed by Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., as the "kind of bold leader we need to take on the Trump Administration," did not name the candidate he believes will capture the party’s nomination later this month. His departure from the race comes as a surprise amid a crowded Democratic field to fill the empty seat of outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. Barnes was considered a frontrunner in the race because of his proximity to Evers and his name recognition. It also coincides with rumblings that Barnes may have abused his position in the past to make sexual advances towards women in the workplace—an allegation currently under investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which published its report shortly after Barnes' video post. Barnes' campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on if his decision to suspend the campaign was in any way connected to the reporting. However, a Barnes spokesperson told Politico that "there are no allegations of misconduct or wrongdoing against Mandela." With Barnes’ departure, the remaining major candidates include Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong, a Democratic socialist, and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. TOP DEM HOPEFUL FLIPS SCRIPT AFTER YEARS IN SOCIALIST ORBIT WITH PUZZLING CLAIM Notably, Hong has received backing from a number of nationally recognized progressives, including Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif. She has raised nearly $709,000 as of late June, according to state records. By comparison…