Berman Flips Wisconsin 1st District From Republicans
Democrat Mitchell Berman, an emergency room nurse, defeats Rep. Bryan Steil in a race that breaks 30 years of Republican control.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Elections
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Democrat Mitchell Berman defeated U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil in Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District, winning by four points. The result ends 30 years of Republican control of the seat.
Why it matters
Steil had won his previous reelection bids by an average of about 12 points, so a four-point margin signals a substantially narrower race than past contests. Democrats now face the task of defending the seat in 2028.
Berman's four-point margin compares with Steil's roughly 12-point average in prior reelections, and Republicans had held the seat for 30 years. Steil did not respond to requests for comment, leaving his plans unclear.
The players
Mitchell Berman
Democrat and emergency room nurse who won Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District as a political outsider.
Bryan Steil
Republican U.S. Representative who lost his seat in Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District after winning prior reelections by about 12 points on average.
The details
Berman, a political outsider and emergency room nurse, ran as a Democrat in the November 2026 election. The district covers southeastern Wisconsin, and the win ends a three-decade stretch of Republican representation.
Timeline
November 2026: Berman defeats Steil in the general election.
2028: Democrats must defend the seat, and Senator Ron Johnson's term ends.
Political Context
Cornell won Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District in 1974 during the anti-Republican, post-Watergate wave, winning reelection in 1976 before losing in 1978. Berman's flip of the 1st District similarly marks a Democratic gain in a Republican-held Wisconsin seat.
The seat's change of hands affects which party shapes federal policy for Wisconsin's southeastern voters. Residents of the district will now be represented by a Democrat until the 2028 contest determines the seat again.
The takeaway
A four-point win in a district that leaned Republican for 30 years signals that the seat is competitive, and the 2028 race will test whether Berman's victory holds.
What happens next
Democrats will need to defend the Wisconsin 1st Congressional District in 2028, when Senator Ron Johnson's term also ends and Steil could seek that Senate seat.
Further reading
For more on how House seats change hands, see Elections coverage across the country.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WRJN - Racine.
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