Wisconsin Republicans are pulling out all the stops to discredit Democrats ahead of this year’s election. But a recent GOP attempt to call out one Black Democratic candidate went left when they confused former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes with the only other Black man running for office.
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“Francesca Hong, Mandela Barnes, and other radical progressives are trying to destroy our state,” the GOP posted on Jan. 12. “From wanting to defund police, raise property taxes, and bring socialism to Wisconsin, it is clear that they are out of touch with the needs of Wisconsin families.”
The message fell on deaf eyes after folks noticed the GOP graphic included photos of two candidates in the race: an Asian Democrat, state Assemblywoman Hong and what was supposed to be Lt. Barnes. Instead, however, the GOP mixed up his photo with that of another Black candidate for governor, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.
Barnes, who previously ran for U.S. Senate, became the first Black lieutenant governor in the state back in 2019. Crowley is the first Black man to ever serve in his role. The two men are the only Black candidates from either party in the race, so confusing the only Black people in the room was quickly brought to the GOP’s attention.
They eventually deleted the post and replaced the graphic with a real photo of Barnes… but by then, the damage was already done. State Democrats called out Republicans for the careless mistake.
“The Wisconsin GOP is literally racist,” Chris Walton, the Milwaukee County Democratic Party’s former chairman, told The Grio. “They can’t tell the difference between two Black guys who literally look nothing alike?”
Walton continued praising both candidates. According to him, Barnes and Crowley “have the experience and know how to be amazing governors who actually focus on fixing the problems that we’re facing, unlike the Wisconsin Republican Party, even the national Republican Party.”
A spokesperson for Barnes responded to the confusion in a statement the Democrat “is beating Trump’s lapdog [Rep.] Tom Tiffany in the polls, so it would be a good idea for Tiffany’s allies to Google who they’d lose to in the general,” according to the Wisconsin Examiner.
If a lashing from Walton and Barnes wasn’t embarrassing enough, folks online continued dragging Wisconsin Republicans for the mixup. “You’re still idiots who can’t even verify who you’re talking about: Other people had to tell you that you put up a picture of the wrong dude,” @AlienCatTweets said on X.
@Richard599519 added, “They all look alike, right?”
“Wisconsin Republicans think all minorities look the same btw,” @TehaTeaTime tweeted.
The gubernatorial race in Wisconsin is getting pretty crowded ever since Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced last year he wouldn’t seek a third term. Barnes, Crowley and Hong join other Democrats in the race like Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez and state Sen. Kelda Roys.
More candidates are expected to launch their campaigns also. Meanwhile, Tiffany and Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann are representing the Republican Party.
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