MADISON — State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski has dropped out of the Democratic race for Wisconsin's U.S. Senate seat and endorsed Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, both campaigns announced Friday. She's the third candidate to drop out this week, all but guaranteeing that Barnes will be the candidate going against incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson in November.
Milwaukee Bucks ExecutiveAlex Lasry dropped out of the race on Wednesday, endorsing Barnes. Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson dropped out on Monday, also endorsing Barnes.
Godlewski is a newcomer to Wisconsin politics. Her run for State Treasurer in 2018 was her first. She was the only woman running for Senate in Wisconsin.
Following the news, Barnes issued a statement saying, "I am honored to accept Treasurer Godlewski’s endorsement in this critical race. Throughout this campaign, Sarah has been a leader in the fight to protect abortion access and a tireless advocate for working people and rural communities across Wisconsin. I will proudly stand with her in those fights as we take on Ron Johnson in the fall."
WATCH: Godlewski holds press conference to announce withdrawal from race
Cap Times first reported the news on Friday. Godlewski's campaign said in a statement:
"Over a year ago, we launched this campaign to defeat Ron Johnson and return this Senate seat to the people of Wisconsin. I stepped up because, too often, Washington overlooks so many of the challenges working families face — from affordable child care and senior care to paid family leave to prescription drug costs to reproductive freedom. I believed we needed more working moms at the U.S. Senate table who would fight like hell to make these issues a priority — I still do.”
