(The Center Square) – Democrat Racine County resident Mitchell Berman launched his campaign for Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District on Tuesday, challenging incumbent GOP Rep. Bryan Steil.
Berman joins former congressional candidate Randy Bryce in the race for the Democratic nomination.
A Berman campaign video advertised him as a Veterans Affairs nurse, first-generation college graduate and union member.
“It’s time to elect leaders who know what it’s like to live paycheck to paycheck,” Berman said. “As a nurse, I’ve seen patients forced to choose between care and paying rent while Washington looks the other way. I’m running for Congress because our health and well-being should come first, not corporate profits.”
Berman, who has worked in health care for over 20 years, called Steil a career politician and corporate lawyer, contrasting the Republican incumbent with Berman’s rural, working-class upbringing.
The Berman campaign website lists lower costs for working families, health care and food programs as top priorities as a representative.
The 1st Congressional District, which encompasses Beloit, Janesville, Kenosha and Racine, has been represented by Steil since 2019.
While it is considered one of two Wisconsin districts seen as competitive by Democrats, the district has been held by Republicans since 1995, and Steil won re-election to a fourth term in November 2024 with 54% of the vote.
Bryce, who ran as the Democrat nominee against Steil in 2018 and has also joined the race for 2026, lost with 42% of the vote in his first election.
In 2024, President Donald Trump carried the district with just 51% of the vote.
However, in both the 2023 and 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, Justices Janet Protasiewicz and Susan Crawford won the district by 6- and 6.5-point margins, respectively.
The congressional primary election will take place Aug. 11, 2026, with the general election Nov. 3.
