(The Center Square) – Incumbent Republican Bryan Steil is one of two Wisconsin Republicans set for a close race in the Nov. 3 general election, facing Democrat Mitchell Berman in the 1st Congressional District in southeastern Wisconsin that includes Kenosha and Racine counties along with portions of Walworth, Rock and Milwaukee counties.
Steil is chairman of the Committee on House Administration and a member of the House Financial Services Committee.
Steil is running on a platform of cutting government spending, securing the border and protecting both Social Security and Medicare.
The Cook Political Report labels the race as leaning Republican after it was previously rated as likely Republican. Berman, however, has pointed to a one percentage point lead in the race according to House Majority Political Action Committee polling released on Saturday.
Berman, an emergency room nurse, says he will push for a ban on members of Congress owning stocks and is the subject of a recent push from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
“Having money but no substance doesn’t help you very much,” DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene told WISN. “And [Steil’s] got nothing to run on. He has not done anything to understand the pain that families are going through. Has not stood up to represent them.
“So, even with a lot of money, if you have got nothing to say and aren’t listening to what’s happening on the ground in your community, [it] doesn’t matter. We will have enough resources to make sure people know who Mitchell Berman is. When they do, he wins.”
Berman is campaigning on raising the federal minimum wage, expanding child tax credits and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and expanding Medicaid.
He also is advocating for banning private equity firms from purchasing single-family homes and hospitals along with capping out-of-pocket prescription drug costs. He also advocates for investing in clean energy, is pro choice and supports the Protecting the Right to Organize Act as an advocate for unions.