Politics
ER nurse Mitchell Berman launches Democratic bid to flip Wisconsin congressional seat
The union member is challenging Republican incumbent Bryan Steil in a battleground House district, focusing on labor issues and the cost of living.
The short version
- Democratic candidate and emergency room nurse Mitchell Berman is challenging Republican incumbent Bryan Steil in Wisconsin's battleground House race.
- Berman's platform emphasizes his healthcare background and union membership while criticizing economic policies, trade tariffs, and manufacturing job losses.
- The district currently leans Republican in polling, and the outcome remains uncertain ahead of the November midterm elections.
Key facts
- Mitchell Berman, an emergency room nurse with over 20 years in healthcare and a union member, is running as the Democratic challenger in a Wisconsin House district.[The Guardian]
- The seat is held by Republican Representative Bryan Steil, a corporate attorney and former aide to House Speaker Paul Ryan who took office in 2019.[The Guardian]
- According to a July 2026 report by the Midwest Economic Policy Institute and the University of Illinois Project for Middle Class Renewal, tariffs cost Wisconsin households an average of $1,095 annually and resulted in 3,910 lost state jobs.[The Guardian]
- Wisconsin manufacturing employment dropped from 560,000 in 2001 to 460,000 in 2025, falling below healthcare sector employment in the state for the first time.[The Guardian]
- Steil's congressional office did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Berman's candidacy.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- Whether Berman's working-class and labor-focused platform will be sufficient to overcome Republican-leaning polling advantages in the district ahead of the November election.[The Guardian]