(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) — Mitchell Berman is the Congressman-elect for Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District. An emergency room nurse who has spent over a decade treating veterans, Berman flipped a seat that incumbent Rep. Bryan Steil won by 10 points in 2024. In response, 314 Action President Shaughnessy Naughton released the following statement:
“Mitchell Berman’s win in Wisconsin’s first Congressional District sends a loud and clear message to Washington tonight. Voters in Wisconsin are sick of Republicans in Congress selling their healthcare to the highest bidder,” said 314 Action President Shaughnessy Naughton.
314 Action Fund invested $1,175,000 in the final stretch to help flip this battleground seat. 314 Action Fund’s targeted investment in WI-01 came as polls were tied heading into Election Day. Berman’s victory is historic, recording one of the largest swings on the map to flip the seat. This race was ranked among the top five most competitive congressional races this cycle.
“While Badger State families struggled with rising costs due to Trump’s healthcare cuts and illegal war in Iran, Republican Rep. Steil stood with the President 99% of the time. Meanwhile, Mitchell Berman was busy caring for veterans, active-duty service members, and their families in VA hospitals, witnessing staffing shortages that are consequences of the so-called Big Beautiful Bill firsthand. Berman will draw on his 23 years’ experience as a healthcare provider to go to bat for Wisconsin families who deserve access to high-quality, affordable care,” Naughton added.
314 Action endorsed Berman as part of its Guardians of Public Health initiative, which seeks to elect 100 doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to public office by 2030. The organization has committed $25 million to this effort in response to the Trump administration’s attacks on medical research, spread of vaccine misinformation, and dismantling of public health infrastructure. Berman’s victory marks a turning point in electing leaders with firsthand healthcare experience who will bring a patient-centered perspective to policymaking.
Mitchell Berman is a board-certified emergency room nurse who has cared for veterans at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for 11 years. He started his medical career with a nursing assistant’s license when he was just 17. A lifelong union member and first-generation college graduate, he has seen firsthand how gaps in our healthcare system affect veterans and working families. By flipping a seat previously held by former House Speaker Paul Ryan, Berman has shown that Wisconsin voters are ready for leaders who will put their families first. The DCCC added WI-01 to its Red to Blue program in September, recognizing the seat as an important part of the fight to take back the House.
314 Action is the only national organization working to recruit, train and elect Democratic scientists across all levels of government—from the Senate down to local school boards. The organization is powered by a grassroots community of over six million people supporting scientists and healthcare professionals who will use science and facts to address the most urgent issues facing our generation.
