I know firsthand that we’re living in a rigged system. Everybody in this room knows that we’re living in a rigged system, and we see the rich become richer and richer… Donald Trump is the most corrupt president in the history of our…
Mandela Barnes
The Public Record
★ Featured Quote
June 24, 2026
We have to tax the wealthiest in our society and restore opportunity.
— Mandela Barnes
It is a politicized issue. The Republican party has become essentially the Republican party of one person and I don’t want to find myself in a place where I am validating bad behavior.
This will be an incredibly competitive race. It already is. The general election is going to show up fast and furious.
There is an affordability crisis that affects almost every household in this state, whether it’s healthcare, whether it’s groceries, whether it’s energy bills, or whether it’s housing, and it feels like there’s no sign of things letting up.
The answer to most of our problems is simple. It’s just a tax on billionaires, tax the wealthiest, tax large corporations that have every tax advantage at their disposal.
I’m not saying we’re taxing people into poverty, right? That’s not the case. We’re not taxing people out of the state. We’re just looking for a little bit of parity.
In order for us to truly make Wisconsin the place that it can and should be — not just to catch up to our Midwest neighbors, but to lead this entire country in terms of progress — I have put in that work.
People know how much money was spent against me. People know that I was the most targeted Democrat in the entire country.
It is a politicized issue. It’s very hard to find common ground with Republicans because the party has become essentially the Republican party of one person.