Why It Matters
Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District represents one of the Democratic Party’s few pickup opportunities in a district Republicans have controlled for three decades. The winner of Tuesday’s Democratic primary will face incumbent Bryan Steil, a former aide to Paul Ryan who has held the seat since 2018 and raised $5.5 million since January 2025.
What Happened
Three Democratic candidates remain on Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District primary ballot after a crowded field narrowed significantly. Mitchell Berman, a rural Racine County nurse, Miguel Aranda, and Lorenzo Santos are competing in the race scheduled for Tuesday. A fourth candidate, Milwaukee alderman Peter Burgelis, dropped out after the July 15 fundraising report but remains on the ballot; he lives outside the district.
The race began with nine prospective candidates announcing their intentions over the past year and a half. Three withdrew before an April district convention, and two others failed to file nomination papers in June. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has identified the 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts as priority targets in Wisconsin.
All three remaining candidates have centered their messaging around opposition to President Donald Trump’s policies. Their campaigns emphasize affordability, healthcare costs, tariffs, and immigration enforcement as central issues facing the district’s working families.
Candidate Profiles
Mitchell Berman declared his candidacy on August 12, 2024, and has secured endorsements from the United Auto Workers and state legislators representing Kenosha, Milwaukee, Beloit, and Janesville. Berman grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm and was the first in his family to earn a college degree. He previously worked for the Veterans Administration health system but left the position due to Hatch Act restrictions on federal employees’ participation in political campaigns.
Berman has raised $700,000 as of his most recent fundraising report. He has cited the Trump administration’s cuts to Veterans Affairs programs during the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) operations led by Elon Musk in the first half of 2025 as a campaign focus. His healthcare priorities include restoring enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies, reversing Medicaid cuts enacted in the 2025 tax-cut and spending law, and creating an ACA public option.
On his candidacy and message, Berman stated: “A lot of the issues that we’re facing today are not Republican issues, they’re not Democratic issues. They are working class and middle class issues.” He added, “I’m a working class candidate, like in the true meaning of working class candidate – I’ve still got to work to pay the bills.”, as first reported by the Wisconsin Examiner
Lorenzo Santos is a former Racine County emergency services manager and East Coast native who served in the U.S. Navy. He holds a degree in Homeland Security and worked as an industrial sales manager with a territory encompassing Wisconsin. Santos left his Racine County position in April after entering the primary race. He ran for the seat in the 2024 primary cycle.
Miguel Aranda is the third remaining candidate, though limited biographical detail has emerged in reporting on the race.
By the Numbers
32 years — Republican tenure controlling the district
20 years — Paul Ryan’s service representing the 1st District before his 2018 departure
2018 — Year Bryan Steil assumed the seat
1970s to 1994 — Period the district reliably backed Democratic candidates
$5.5 million — Steil’s fundraising total from January through mid-July 2025
$700,000 — Berman’s fundraising receipts as of his latest report
9 — Initial number of prospective Democratic candidates
3 — Remaining Democratic candidates in the primary
Zoom Out
The 1st Congressional District, anchored by Racine, Kenosha, Beloit, and Janesville, stretches from Lake Michigan into South Central Wisconsin. The Cook Political Report rated the seat “Likely Republican” as of February 2025, reflecting Steil’s institutional advantages and fundraising edge. However, the district’s Democratic lean from the 1970s through 1994 signals the potential for a competitive general election in the right circumstances.
Democrats nationwide have identified a handful of Republican-held seats as winnable in 2026, and Wisconsin’s competitive political environment makes both the 1st and 3rd Districts targets for national party resources.
What’s Next
Tuesday’s primary will determine the Democratic nominee to face Steil in the November general election. The winner will inherit the party’s infrastructure and resources allocated by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, though the general election contest remains rated favorable to the Republican incumbent based on recent political assessments.