Lt. Gov. Barnes receives college diploma 12 years later

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who is preparing to enter next year’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, quietly received his diploma from Alabama A&M University in May 2020, 12 years after he attended classes there.

Barnes came under criticism two years ago for saying that he had a degree even though he had not yet fulfilled all the requirements to receive one.

Barnes campaign provided a copy of his year-old diploma, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported .

Barnes received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications Media specializing in Performance. The diploma was dated May 1, 2020, and included signatures from Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and Alabama A&M President Andrew Hugine, Jr.

Barnes attended Alabama A&M from the fall of 2003 to the spring of 2008.

In a statement, Barnes told the Journal Sentinel: “In 2008, I completed all my courses at Alabama A&M and walked in graduation ceremonies. However, due to a minor technical issue with my transcript, the diploma was never sent. Last year, I worked with the appropriate Alabama A&M officials to resolve the internal error and was awarded the diploma I earned back in 2008.”

Barnes faced questions about his degree after telling Madison’s Isthmus newspaper in August 2019 that he left college before completing his degree.

“I had a class. I got an incomplete. I completed the coursework to get that incomplete resolved. It never got turned in,” Barnes told the Isthmus. “It’s a small technical thing.”

Barnes is expected to soon join a large field of Democrats running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson. The election is in 2022.