Grothman Faces Smith in Wisconsin 6th District
Republican incumbent Glenn Grothman seeks a seventh term against first-time candidate Brad Smith in the heavily Republican district.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Political Parties
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Republican U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, 71, is running for a seventh term in Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District against Democrat Brad Smith, who is seeking his first political office. The district heavily favors Republicans, and Grothman won it by 23 points in 2024.
Why it matters
The 6th District has not elected a Democrat since John Abner Race served from 1965 to 1967, and no statewide or national candidate has carried it since Barack Obama in 2008 by a 0.05% margin. The race offers Wisconsin voters a choice between competing priorities on welfare, family values, fuel prices, and jobs.
Glenn Grothman, 71, is seeking a seventh term after serving in the Wisconsin state legislature from 1993 to 2015. The 6th District has been held by Republicans through a 23-point win in 2024 and has not been held by a Democrat since 1967.
The players
Glenn Grothman
Republican U.S. Representative from Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District, seeking a seventh term in the House after previously serving in the Wisconsin state legislature from 1993 to 2015.
Brad Smith
Democratic challenger in the Wisconsin 6th Congressional District race, seeking his first political office.
The details
Grothman's stated priorities include cleaning up the welfare system, protecting family values, safeguarding laws that support employers of people with disabilities, and supporting manufacturing. Smith's stated priorities are the rising price of fuel, cost of living, protecting jobs, and the economy.
Timeline
2008: Obama last carried the district statewide or nationally, by 0.05%.
1965-1967: John Abner Race served as the district's last Democratic representative.
1993-2015: Grothman served in the Wisconsin state legislature.
2024: Grothman won the district by a 23-point margin.
November 3, 2026: Election between Grothman and Smith.
Political Context
The 6th District has not been carried by any statewide or national candidate since Barack Obama's 0.05% win in 2008, a narrow result that contrasts with Grothman's 23-point margin in 2024. Smith's challenge follows that long Republican pattern in a district that has not elected a Democrat to the House since John Abner Race in 1967.
The outcome will determine who represents the 6th District in the U.S. House for the next term, shaping federal decisions on welfare, manufacturing, and employer protections for workers with disabilities. Voters in the district will be choosing between the two candidates' stated priorities on fuel prices, cost of living, and jobs.
The takeaway
Voters in Wisconsin's 6th District face a clear choice between a long-serving incumbent focused on welfare and manufacturing and a first-time challenger focused on fuel prices and jobs. The outcome will show whether the district's Republican lean holds for another cycle.
What happens next
The general election is scheduled for November 3, 2026, when voters in the 6th District will decide the race between Grothman and Smith.
Further reading
For more on how the two major parties are positioning themselves across the state, see Political Parties coverage.
Live Poll
Are rising fuel prices and living costs making your household finances worse?
