Mandela Barnes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mandela Barnes
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Barnes in 2020
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| 45th Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin | |
| In office January 7, 2019 – January 3, 2023 |
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| Governor | Tony Evers |
| Preceded by | Rebecca Kleefisch |
| Succeeded by | Sara Rodriguez |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 11th district |
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| In office January 7, 2013 – January 3, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Jason Fields |
| Succeeded by | Jason Fields |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 1, 1986 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations |
Working Families |
| Education | Alabama A&M University (BA) |
| Signature |  |
J. Mandela Barnes (born December 1, 1986) is an American politician who served as the 45th lieutenant governor of Wisconsin from 2019 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the state representative for the 11th district from 2013 to 2017. Barnes is the first African American to serve as Wisconsin's lieutenant governor.
Barnes was the Democratic nominee in the 2022 U.S. Senate election in Wisconsin, losing to incumbent Republican Senator Ron Johnson.
Early life and education
Barnes was born in Milwaukee on December 1, 1986, the son of a public school teacher and a United Auto Workers member. Jesse is his father's name and his middle name, Mandela, is a tribute to the anti-apartheid activist and first South African black president Nelson Mandela. Barnes says he has gone by his middle name since birth. His legal name is J. Mandela Barnes.
Barnes attended Holy Redeemer Christian Academy in Milwaukee; Milwaukee Public Schools, including John Marshall High School; and Alabama A&M University.
Barnes was involved with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) during college. He has also said that Barack Obama's keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention inspired him to rethink his post-college career.
In August 2019, Barnes admitted that he had never officially completed his bachelor's degree in 2008 due to incomplete coursework in one class that he called a "minor technical issue", contrary to previous statements that he had graduated from Alabama A&M. He received his B.A. degree in communications media specializing in performance on May 1, 2020, after resolving the outstanding coursework issue with the university.
- List of lieutenant governors of Wisconsin
- List of minority governors and lieutenant governors in the United States
See also
In Spanish: Mandela Barnes para niños
