Democrats Flip Two Wisconsin House Seats
Mitchell Berman and Rebecca Cooke unseat incumbent Republicans, leaving the state's congressional delegation evenly split.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Political Parties
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Democrat Mitchell Berman defeated incumbent Republican Bryan Steil in Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District, and Democrat Rebecca Cooke defeated incumbent Republican Derrick Van Orden in the 3rd District. The wins flipped two Republican-held U.S. House seats in Wisconsin.
Why it matters
The results leave Wisconsin's congressional delegation evenly split and mark the first time in decades that a Wisconsin Democrat has defeated an incumbent Republican congressman. The outcome shifts the state's balance of House representation in the current Congress.
Two Republican-held U.S. House seats in Wisconsin flipped to Democrats on November 3, 2026. The stub does not report vote tallies or margins for either race.
The players
Mitchell Berman
Democrat who defeated incumbent Republican Bryan Steil in Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District, and a former VA nurse.
Rebecca Cooke
Democrat who defeated incumbent Republican Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District.
Bryan Steil
Incumbent Republican U.S. Representative for Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District who lost to Mitchell Berman.
Derrick Van Orden
Incumbent Republican U.S. Representative for Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District who lost to Rebecca Cooke.
The details
Berman, a former VA nurse, decided to run for Congress after colleagues' jobs were cut by the Trump administration and after seeing his patients suffer. Cooke ran a campaign aimed at representing a purple district and championing working families, while Berman built his campaign around serving and uplifting working families.
Timeline
- November 3, 2026: Berman and Cooke win their congressional races.
Political Context
The results flip two Republican-held seats and produce an even split in Wisconsin's congressional delegation. The stub does not provide specific counter-arguments or opposition-party responses.
With Wisconsin's delegation now evenly split, the state's House representation has shifted, though the stub does not describe specific policy or funding changes that will follow. Residents of the 1st and 3rd Districts now have newly elected Democratic representatives.
The takeaway
Wisconsin's split congressional delegation reflects two districts that changed hands in the 2026 cycle. Voters following state-level races can track how the evenly divided delegation shapes future House votes.
Further reading
Explore more on Political Parties coverage across Wisconsin.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Urban Milwaukee.
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