CitizenBarnes

CitizenBarnes, known more commonly by his birth name, Charles Barnes, is an American politician serving as the junior Senator from the State of Superior since 2nd Governor of the State of Superior since September 5, 2021. A Democrat, he previously served in a list seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in January 2021, in the Superior State Senate in February and March of 2021, and as the 2nd Governor of Superior from March to September of 2021.

Barnes defeated Senate Majority Leader DDYT in the March 2021 Superior gubernatorial election with 52.5% of the vote. Months later, he defeated State Senator Greylat in the [[August 2021 Superior Senate election) with 51.8% of the vote.

Early Life and Career
Barnes was born on April 3, 1969, in Craig, Fremont to parents Thomas Baines and Mildred Barnes. After graduating from Moffat County High School in 1987, he moved to Denver, Fremont and began writing for a local newspaper. He reported on local political affairs for five years before pivoting to opinion writing at the Denver Post in 1992. He remained at the Post for 28 years until filling a vacancy in the House of Representatives in 2021 as a Democrat.

House of Representatives (January - February 2021)
Barnes filled a list seat vacancy at the start of the term, in January 2021. During his tenure, he focused his efforts on raising awareness of a variety of issues, mainly by writing open letters urging action from President Ninjja. This included an open letter he wrote urging the President to lift the ban on transgender individuals implemented by his predecessor, Donald Trump, which ultimately led to President Ninjja lifting the controversial ban.

Superior State Senate (February - March 2021)
Barnes resigned from the House of Representatives in February 2021 to fill a vacancy in the Superior State Senate. While serving in the state senate, Barnes wrote legislation to change the name of the state from Lincoln to Superior and designed the new flag and seal, both of which were swiftly adopted by the Senate in the form of the Superior Symbols Amendment.

March 2021 Superior Gubernatorial Election
Barnes officially announced his candidacy in the March 2021 Superior gubernatorial election on February 20, 2021. He won the Democratic primary on March 7, 2021 with 86.9% of the vote. In the March 2021 election, Barnes defeated Senate Majority Leader DDYT with 52.5% of the vote and was officially elected the next Governor of the State of Superior.

Political Positions
Barnes is a Democrat with progressive beliefs. He has used his time in public office to champion civil rights, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community, as well as to highlight the issue of climate change.

In a February 21, 2021, interview with Regional Register reporter Cosmo Broadbent, Barnes revealed that he was born in the conservative town of Craig and, while living there, came to sympathize with liberal policies as he became more interested in politics. He has spoken highly of President Jimmy Carter, indicating that his views are similar to his own, while decrying the policies and ideology of President Donald Trump.

Personal Life
Barnes has never been married or fathered any children. He currently resides in the Governor's mansion in Lansing with his cat, Wallace.