Democratic Field Thins in Wisconsin US Senate Primary, Consolidates Behind Barnes

Three candidates in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate seat toppled like a line of dominos in the last eight days before the Aug. 9 contest.

And those who fell may have removed the toughest competition facing incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson (R), an analyst told The Epoch Times.

Johnson is expected to advance past his primary challenger to the Nov. 8 general election.

The trio of Democrats who voluntarily ended their races prematurely built a wall of support behind their party’s frontrunner, Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes.

Four other Democrat hopefuls remain in the primary against Barnes. But polls suggest that each has meager support among voters.

Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes speaks to the crowd gathered at Civic Center Park located outside of the Kenosha County Courthouse, in Kenosha, Wis., on Aug. 29, 2020. (Jim Vondruska/Reuters)

So the narrowed field practically clears the path for Barnes to advance to the Nov. 8 general election, says Republican elections analyst Joe Handrick.

But Barnes was one of “the weakest” Democrat candidates, he said, and may be easier for Johnson to beat in the fall than two of those who bowed out.

Yet, he added, some Republican candidates predicted early to do well in Senate races have appeared to be struggling. So U.S. Senate races across the country are becoming harder to predict.

Wisconsin’s could be one of “the tightest” finishes in the country, Handrick says. And that means the race could matter more than ever to both conservatives and liberals across the nation.

Headed into the Aug. 9 primary, Barnes’ website lists his priorities. They include “fighting inflation and lowering taxes” for the middle class, “reproductive justice” in the form of “abortion rights,” the legalization of marijuana use, “LGBTQIA+ rights,” helping “those who are coming to the US in search of

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