WISCONSIN — Wisconsin Treasurer Sarah Godlewski dropped out of the state’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary Friday, making Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes the clear frontrunner to face Republican Sen. Ron Johnson.

“I can’t think of a primary with so many top contenders dropping out this close to the primary; sometimes we’ve seen earlier dropouts but not like this,” Dr. Charles Franklin, director of the Marquette Law School Poll. “Five different polls from various organizations, including my own, showed the race really close in June. But then, new polling by the campaigns in mid-July, showed Barnes opening up a double digit lead.”

Several lower-tier candidates who were polling in the low single digits remain in the Aug. 9 primary, and even those who dropped out will still be on the ballot. In-person absentee voting began this week.

After spending more than $3.6 million of her own money trying to win the nomination, Godlewski suspended her campaign Friday. She’s the third top Democratic candidate in five days to drop out and back Barnes.

“I know that we’re better when we all come together,” she said at an event on Friday. “And that’s why for me, it was pretty immediate.”

“Whether there are back conversations or new data that [Godlewski’s] looked at, or simply facing that, as other candidates publicly endorse Mandela Barnes, that leaves much less of a path for her,” Franklin said. “I think the message may have sunk in or the situation sunk in.”

The race in battleground Wisconsin, which Donald Trump narrowly won in 2016 but lost by a nearly equal number of votes in 2020, could determine which party holds majority control in the 50-50 Senate. Johnson, who had not commented on the two other drop-outs, weighed in after Godlewski left the race.

“Showing their lack of respect for voters and the democratic process, the power brokers of the Democrat party have now cleared the field for their most radical left candidate,” Johnson tweeted. “Socialist policies have produced this mess, & a radical left Senator from Wisconsin is not the solution.”

Barnes, 35, would become the first Black senator from Wisconsin if elected. He served two terms in the state Legislature before being elected lieutenant governor in 2018. Barnes opted against seeking a second term with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to instead run for Senate.

Godlewski’s decision to leave the race came after Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson dropped out Monday and Barnes’ top rival, Alex Lasry, followed suit Wednesday. Godlewski and Nelson had been trailing Barnes and Lasry by double digits in public polling.

“It’s clear that if we want to finally send Ron Johnson packing, we must all get behind Mandela Barnes and fight together,” Godlewski said.

The Democratic primary had been friendly. Instead of attac​king each other, the candidates focused on Johnson. The clearing of the field allows Barnes to save his campaign cash and focus on the fall election.

According to Marquette Law School’s poll, the fall matchup between the two will be close.

“As of June, it’s a very tight race,” Franklin said. “We had Barnes leading Johnson by two percentage points. That’s well inside the margin of error for the poll. But, if we looked at a low-turnout scenario, we had Johnson just barely ahead. So it’s a clear example of what a real toss up race looks like.”

The school’s polling data also shows more voters now view Sen. Johnson unfavorably than favorably. But Dr. Franklin said Johnson’s numbers were underwater in 2015 and 2016 too, but he still won reelection.

Barnes has emphasized his middle class upbringing as the son of a public school teacher and factory worker, both union members. Barnes paid no income tax and was on the state’s Medicaid program while running for lieutenant governor in 2018.

He has secured some big-name liberal endorsements in the primary, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vermont; Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.,; and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Godlewski, the only woman in the race, had made fighting for abortion rights the center of her campaign. But she said she was ending her candidacy and backing Barnes because it would help the overriding goal of knocking off Johnson, a two-term incumbent and close ally of Trump.

Barnes, who was scheduled to appear with Godlewski later Friday, said her decision put Democrats in a stronger position to defeat Johnson in November.

“This week has demonstrated what it looks like when we come together for a goal that is greater than ourselves,” Barnes said in a statement. “We are building a coalition that crosses generations, crosses racial divides and political divides. A coalition that includes farmers, union leaders, teachers, small business owners, and working people all across this state.”