Former Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes named president of Power to the Polls Wisconsin

Bill Glauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes is returning to his roots in political organizing.

Barnes, the 2022 Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, was named Friday as president of Power to the Polls Wisconsin, an organization focused on voter turnout, especially in diverse communities like Milwaukee. Barnes worked with the group during the recent spring election.

The move comes as Wisconsin, a key battleground state, prepares for the 2024 presidential election cycle.

Early in his career, Barnes worked as a political field organizer during President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign, and later was a community organizer with Milwaukee Innercity Congregations Allied with Hope (MICAH).

In a statement, Pastor Greg Lewis, Power to the Polls co-founder and board chair, said: “Mandela has spent his career mobilizing Wisconsinites and fighting for our freedoms. We’re thrilled to have his leadership at Power to the Polls in an incredibly consequential time.”

“Organizing isn’t just about what happens right before an election – it’s about mobilizing communities to use their power year in and year out,” Barnes said in a statement.

Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, right, and others watch the results come in during Supreme Court candidate Janet Protasiewicz's election night watch party.
Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, right, and others watch the results come in during Supreme Court candidate Janet Protasiewicz's election night watch party.

During the most recent spring election, the group said Power to the Polls Action Fund invested nearly $1 million, while its canvassers knocked on more than 85,000 doors in Milwaukee, Racine, Brown, and Outagamie Counties.

Since losing last year's race to incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, Barnes has kept his hand in politics.

Barnes heads The Long Run PAC, which supports "diverse and ground-breaking candidates around the country." Barnes' political action committee raised more than $29,000 digitally for Milwaukee County Judge Janet Protasiewicz, the liberal who won the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court race. The PAC also made a $5,000 direct contribution to Protasiewicz.

Barnes also made numerous appearances on the campaign trail, including at canvass launches and fundraisers, to boost other candidates.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mandela Barnes named president of Wisconsin voter turnout group