Why It Matters
Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District is shaping up as one of the state’s most competitive races heading into the 2026 midterm elections. The Democratic primary field is growing, and the outcome could determine whether Republicans retain a seat they have held for nearly three decades in a district that was once a Democratic stronghold.
For Wisconsin voters, the race carries significant implications on issues including tariff-driven price increases, federal immigration enforcement, and the broader balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives.
What Happened
Lorenzo Santos, a Democrat from the Racine area, has formally entered the race for Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District, marking his second attempt to secure the party’s nomination for the seat. Santos announced his candidacy at the end of February 2026 and is stepping down from his position as Racine County’s emergency services director in April to pursue the campaign full-time.
Santos previously sought the Democratic nomination for the same seat ahead of the 2024 election cycle before ultimately not advancing. His return to the race signals continued ambition for the district, which stretches from Lake Michigan west to Rock County.
The incumbent Republican, U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, has held the seat since 2018. Santos said he decided to run again in direct response to what he described as the damaging effects of Trump administration policies, including tariffs that have driven up consumer prices and increased immigration enforcement activity in immigrant communities across Wisconsin.
Santos is directing his campaign messaging squarely at Steil rather than at his fellow Democratic contenders. “I think they’re all great people,” Santos said of the other candidates in the primary field, while maintaining that his professional background gives him a competitive edge if Democrats win the House majority. “We’re about to have a majority,” Santos said, “and it’s going to be important that that majority bring that knowledge to the forefront so that they can hold this president and this administration accountable.”
By the Numbers
- Santos is the fourth active Democratic candidate remaining in the 1st CD primary field after a field that initially included more than six hopefuls.
- Two Democratic candidates dropped out of the race earlier in 2026, and a third has not made a public statement since late January.
- Republican Paul Ryan held the 1st CD seat from 1998 to 2018, winning reelection by approximately a 2-to-1 margin in most cycles.
- Bryan Steil has held the seat since 2018, when he defeated ironworker Randy Bryce in what was considered a closer-than-usual race for the district.
- The 1st CD was reliably Democratic for roughly two decades before flipping to Republican control in 1994, making its political history a mix of both parties over the past 30-plus years.
Zoom Out
Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District is part of a broader national landscape in which Democrats are targeting Republican-held seats in suburbs and mid-sized metros ahead of the 2026 midterms. Historically, the party out of power in the White House makes gains in midterm elections, a trend that national Democrats are banking on as they build toward a potential House majority.
Across the country, early primary fields in competitive districts have seen similar patterns of overcrowding followed by consolidation as lesser-known or underfunded candidates exit races. Wisconsin’s 1st CD appears to be following that trajectory, with the field narrowing from more than six candidates to four active contenders in a matter of months.
The district’s history also mirrors national trends in working-class and suburban realignment. Once a reliably blue district anchored by union households in Kenosha and Racine, it shifted toward Republicans in the 1990s and has remained in GOP hands since, a pattern seen in similar Rust Belt districts across Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
What’s Next
The Wisconsin Democratic primary for the 1st Congressional District will take place ahead of the November 2026 general election. Santos and the remaining three active candidates are expected to continue building their campaign infrastructure and fundraising operations in the months ahead.
Bryan Steil, the Republican incumbent, has not yet faced a formal general election opponent, but his campaign will be watching the Democratic primary closely as the field narrows. Candidate filing deadlines and primary dates set by Wisconsin election officials will determine the formal timeline for the race moving forward.
National Democratic organizations, including the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, are likely to weigh in on competitive districts like Wisconsin’s 1st CD as the 2026 cycle intensifies later this year.