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FACT BRIEF

Does Wisconsin U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes want to defund the police?

By Jacob Alabab-Moser
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NO

Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, has shown support for increased law enforcement funding during his campaign. Several campaign materials showcase this support, including ads and a page on his official site listing endorsements from law enforcement and a call to give police "the resources they need to keep us safe."

But Barnes has previously expressed support for reducing funding to the police. In a 2020 PBS Wisconsin interview, Barnes said spending on Milwaukee police was "over-bloated," but said it should not be "completely done away with." He called for more money for "neighborhood services and programming."  

Multiple organizations that favor defunding the police have endorsed Barnes's campaign, including Center for Popular Democracy and Democracy for America. But a campaign spokesperson said Barnes does not endorse their stance on the issue.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Team Punchbowl News Mandela Barnes ad in support of police
Team Mandela Public safety: Mandela's priorities for Senate
Mandela Barnes for U.S. Senate More members of law enforcement endorse Mandela Barnes for US Senate
PBS Wisconsin Communities chart course to address racism
Wall Street Journal Democrats and defunding police
Wisconsin Journal Sentinel Mandela Barnes distances self from increasingly unpopular, left-wing defund police and abolish ICE movements
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.