Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes announced Thursday that he is dropping out of the Democratic race for governor in Wisconsin less than two weeks out from the primary.

“Last night I had a very difficult conversation with staff,” Barnes said in a video posted to X. “We’re incredibly proud of all the things that we’ve accomplished and all the resources that we have raised to spread our message. But it’s become very clear who our nominee is going to be.”

That statement is a clear nod to state Rep. Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist who has expanded her polling lead ahead of the Aug. 11 primary.

A Marquette University Law School poll released Wednesday showed Hong with the support of 38% of Democratic primary voters in the state, followed by Barnes with 16% support.

Barnes’ decision to exit the race is just the latest major development to rock what has been a volatile Democratic primary to replace outgoing Gov. Tony Evers in the key battleground state.

Earlier this month, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, who was seen by more moderate Democrats as a leading contender, dropped out of the contest following discovery of major inaccuracies related to the campaign’s financial reporting. That prompted Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley to re-enter the race with Evers’ endorsement days after he had ended his campaign.

NBC News also revealed the existence of a years-old social media account registered to Crowley that featured incendiary posts about women and race, along with derogatory LGBTQ references.

While Crowley took the support of only 7% of primary voters in the Marquette poll, Barnes’ move could give him a boost among Democrats who are looking for an alternative to Hong, who some in the party fear would be a weak general election candidate in the swing state due to her progressive views.

According to Marquette’s polling, Barnes had been the only candidate among the top three Democratic options with a lead in a hypothetical general election matchup over Rep. Tom Tiffany, the likely Republican nominee.

A Crowley supporter with knowledge of the team’s strategy said Thursday that a blitz with Evers, the two-term governor, was on the way, including ads and campaign events.

“The last two weeks people are tuning in,” the person said, adding, “Evers’ name means something with voters.”

But the person said the campaign realizes the eleventh-hour gambit is a “Hail Mary” and that Evers’ endorsement may have come too late.

One Wisconsin Democratic operative said that Barnes’ exit “opens a huge door for David Crowley.”

“Barnes’ voters go to Crowley,” the operative said.

Barnes, who served as lieutenant governor during Evers’ first term, was once seen as a rising star in the party. He was the Democratic nominee in Wisconsin’s 2022 Senate race, but lost by fewer than 27,000 votes to GOP Sen. Ron Johnson.

That narrow defeat, which came as Evers won a second term, had led some Democrats to wonder if he deserved another crack at a high-stakes statewide race.

An editorial column from 2025 from The Milwaukee Courier, the city’s oldest Black-owned newspaper, said, “Mandela had his opportunity. He didn’t close. And that means it’s time for a new chapter.”