ER Nurse Mitchell Berman Runs to Unseat Republican in Wisconsin’s Swing House District

In the upcoming midterm election, Democrats have recruited Mitchell Berman, a more than 20-year emergency-room nurse, to contest Wisconsin’s 1st congressional district, a swing seat previously represented by former Speaker Paul Ryan and now held by Republican Bryan Steil, a corporate attorney. Berman argues that his frontline healthcare experience and union membership give him insight into everyday economic struggles, citing the decline of manufacturing jobs—from 560,000 in 2001 to 460,000 in 2025—and the impact of tariffs that have cost households over $1,095 annually.

He criticizes Steil for supporting tariffs and for promises to lower costs that he says have not materialized. Berman also references the legacy of Act 10, which limited public-sector collective bargaining, to highlight the importance of labor representation. The race pits a working-class candidate against an incumbent viewed as out of touch with voters feeling economic pressure. Steil’s office has not responded to comment requests.