# Mitchell Berman **Mitchell Berman** is a Wisconsin Democrat and emergency-room nurse who won **Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District** on November 3, 2026, the Associated Press projected, defeating Republican Rep. [[Bryan Steil]]. Steil had held the southeast Wisconsin seat since winning it in 2018 and conceded at about 11:30 p.m. on election night (Wisconsin Public Radio). Berman, who lives in Racine County, will be the first Democrat to represent the district in more than 30 years (Wisconsin Public Radio, WISN). He had never run for office before. > [!success] Election result > The Associated Press projected on November 3, 2026 that Berman won, a Democratic pickup; Wisconsin Public Radio reported the AP call at 11:48 p.m. Vote totals are unofficial until Wisconsin certifies the result. Full race context: [[WI-01-2026]]. Live coverage: [[2026 Midterms Live - Election Results War Room]]. ## Background - **Nurse.** He has worked in health care for more than 20 years and is an emergency-room nurse (Wisconsin Public Radio, The Gazette). He spent about a decade caring for veterans and their families as a nurse at the Department of Veterans Affairs (The Gazette, New Politics). - **Union member.** He describes himself as a union member (Wisconsin Public Radio, The Gazette); The Gazette reported he has belonged to the nursing union at every organized facility where he has worked. - **Rural Wisconsin roots.** He was raised in a "one-stoplight town" in rural Wisconsin and was the first in his family to graduate from college (The Gazette, New Politics; Wisconsin Public Radio also calls him a first-generation college graduate). - **Home and family.** He lives in the village of Raymond in Racine County (Wisconsin Public Radio, The Gazette) and has children; The Gazette reported he lives there with his wife and two daughters. - **Local activism.** Before running for Congress he was involved in disputes with the Raymond school board, including an open-meetings complaint that became a 2024 lawsuit the district settled, Wisconsin Public Radio reported. ## The 2026 campaign - **Launch.** He announced his campaign in August 2025 as a political newcomer, saying, "I'm running for Congress because our health and well-being should come first, not corporate profits" (Wisconsin Public Radio, The Gazette). He criticized Steil's vote for the [[Big Beautiful Bill]] and its [[Medicaid]] cuts (Wisconsin Public Radio). - **Primary.** He won the three-way Democratic primary on August 11, 2026, in a race the AP called at 9:02 p.m. (Wisconsin Examiner, The Gazette). The Wisconsin Examiner reported he finished with about 44 percent and was the best-funded Democrat in the field, and that the United Auto Workers endorsed him. - **Message.** He ran on the cost of living, affordable health care and corruption in Washington (Wisconsin Public Radio, WISN), and in a debate said he would work to repeal the Trump administration's tariffs (Wisconsin Public Radio). Wisconsin Public Radio reported that national Democrats added the race to their "Red to Blue" program for top pickup targets. - **The district.** WISN reported that Trump carried the district by fewer than five points in 2024. Wisconsin Public Radio noted that former House Speaker [[Paul Ryan]] held the seat for about 20 years. - **Opposition money.** In a single late-October filing, the Trump-aligned [[No Going Back PAC]] reported spending $707,866.28 against him; see [[No Going Back PAC 10.8M House Program October 2026]]. House Republicans' main super PAC, the [[Congressional Leadership Fund]], reported $1,037,500.89 against him on one notice dated October 28; see [[CLF 39M House IE October 2026]]. - **Victory.** "If you had told me even just a few years ago that I'd be your next congressman, I would have never believed you," he told supporters in Elkhorn, adding later, "I am going to represent everyone in this district" (Wisconsin Public Radio). ## Connections - [[WI-01-2026]] — the race he won - [[Bryan Steil]] — the Republican incumbent he defeated - [[Paul Ryan]] — former House Speaker who held the seat for about two decades - [[No Going Back PAC]] — Trump-aligned super PAC that spent against him - [[Congressional Leadership Fund]] — House Republican super PAC that spent against him - [[2026 House Races Hub]] — every competitive House race - [[2026 Midterms Live - Election Results War Room]] — election-night coverage ## Sources - [Associated Press — WI-01 race call](https://apnews.com/live/midterm-election-2026#000001a1-a519-df1d-abf5-efbffa420000) - [Wisconsin Public Radio — Democrat Mitchell Berman defeats Republican Bryan Steil](https://www.wpr.org/news/democrat-mitchell-berman-defeats-republican-bryan-steil-2026) - [WISN 12 — Wisconsin 1st Congressional District election results](https://www.wisn.com/article/wisconsin-1st-congressional-district-election-results-2026/74327246) - [Wisconsin Examiner — Berman wins Democratic nod to challenge Steil in Wisconsin's 1st District](https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2026/08/11/berman-wins-democratic-nod-to-challenge-steil-in-wisconsins-1st-district/) - [The Gazette — Berman wins Democratic primary for Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District](https://www.gazettextra.com/news/local/berman-wins-democratic-primary-for-wisconsins-1st-congressional-district/article_0ce08078-41e9-40b1-9c2d-d11f724379bf.html) - [Wisconsin Public Radio — Democrat Mitchell Berman challenging Bryan Steil for Congress](https://www.wpr.org/news/democrat-mitchell-berman-challenging-bryan-steil-congress) - [The Gazette — Berman joins 1st Congressional District race](https://www.gazettextra.com/news/local/berman-joins-1st-congressional-district-race/article_ca61ca84-df26-4d37-a76f-5fa22822cdca.html) - [New Politics — Mitchell Berman](https://www.newpolitics.org/candidates/mitchell-berman)