Democrat Berman Takes On Steil in Wisconsin's First District

Democrats are pinning hopes on a first-time candidate in southeastern Wisconsin, where nurse Mitchell Berman is challenging Republican Rep. Bryan Steil in a congressional district the GOP has held for more than 30 years.

Berman, 40, is campaigning on his working-class roots, telling voters in Racine that he understands their struggles. He grew up in rural Wisconsin, attended public schools and was the first in his family to graduate from college. He says cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs, which affected the VA hospital where he worked, motivated his run.

"I know what it's like to struggle," Berman said, adding that voters want someone who has "walked a mile in my shoes."

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added Wisconsin's 1st District to its "red to blue" program in September, a designation that directs resources and fundraising help to challengers taking on vulnerable Republican incumbents.

Steil, a former attorney for a plastics manufacturer first elected in 2019, is seeking a fifth term. He has played down the targeting, saying his campaign has consistently reached voters directly and been successful.

The incumbent retains significant advantages. Steil and allied groups have outspent Berman and his supporters by a 2-to-1 margin, and he entered August with $6.3 million in cash compared with just under $152,000 for Berman.

Trump-aligned outside groups have also weighed in. No Going Back PAC has spent about $90,000 on mailers in the district. Nationally, that group and Safety and Affordability PAC have spent more than $84 million on House advertising since Sept. 1, with 96% of it in districts Trump carried in 2024.

The district, which borders Illinois and Lake Michigan and includes Kenosha, Janesville and Racine, has suffered thousands of manufacturing job losses. The General Motors plant in Janesville, which employed 7,000 people at its peak, shut down in early 2009, and other manufacturers closed around the same time.

Berman has criticized Steil's support for Trump's tariffs, saying voters have yet to see evidence that they will bring factories back. Steil acknowledges voter frustration, citing his votes to eliminate taxes on tips and overtime and saying more work remains on affordability.

Steil has voted in line with Trump nearly 100% of the time and won his four races by at least 9 percentage points. He is seen as a possible 2028 Senate candidate if Republican Sen. Ron Johnson retires.

Peter Barca, the last Democrat to hold the seat from 1993 to 1995, said Berman could still prevail despite being outspent. "When the wave's big enough, that will save you," he said.

But others are skeptical. Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who lives in the district, said building name recognition from scratch against a popular incumbent is a difficult climb regardless of the political environment. Retired probation agent Dave Carlson, 71, of Racine, said he hopes for an upset but noted that previous Democratic candidates have fallen short.