Democrat Barnes: Turnout key for Wisconsin wins in November

The race for lieutenant governor in Wisconsin will fly under the radar again this election season.

One of the candidates for the office, however, Democrat Mandela Barnes, won’t let that deter him from trying to beat the drum as loudly as possible for getting out the vote.

It’s something that didn’t happen when Donald Trump carried Wisconsin in the last presidential election.

“You had younger voters who stayed home, you had voters from communities of color that stayed home, there was not a strong showing from Milwaukee, Racine,” Barnes said from the WIZM studio Thursday afternoon. “And when people ask me, ‘Why didn’t they show up to vote?’ I’ll say, ‘Why didn’t the candidate show up to the voters?'”

Barnes made a stop at Bodega Brew Pub to encourage people to vote after his visit to WIZM. He said he isn’t so much worried about his own primary, as much as he’s simply running to insure his party wins the governor’s office through voter turnout — whoever his party’s candidate turns out to be.

“We only get a blue wave if everyone makes a splash,” Barnes said. “That means people have to be active. We can’t just sit here and expect it to happen, right?”

Barnes is confident the Democratic candidate for governor who emerges from Tuesday’s primary will beat Scott Walker in November’s general election. But that’s only if they get help from voters — voters who stayed home in the last presidential election.

Barnes says Democrats can’t take any perceived advantage for granted come November.

“Because public opinion is on our side, because there is a national movement, or because across the country people are more energized,” he explained. “If we just sit here and just hope it happens, we’re going to repeat 2016 all over again. We expected Hillary CLinton to become the next president, and that didn’t turn out.”

Barnes faces self-funded candidate Kurt Kober in the Democratic lieutenant governor’s race.

Rewatch the interview with Barnes below (skip to the second hour, or 1:00 on the clock).