Mitchell Berman has declared victory in Wisconsin’s 1st CD.
In a press release, the Raymond emergency room nurse said tonight’s results “proves that when working people stand together, we can make a difference.”
“I know what it’s like to work hard and wonder whether the people in Washington understand what families like us are going through. Now, families like ours will have someone in Congress who’s on our side,” Berman said.
According to the AP, Berman was leading incumbent U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Janesville, 52.2% to 47.8%, with 93% of the vote counted.
Steil addressed supporters at his election night party in Sturtevant, saying, “It was a difficult night tonight; it was not our night.”
Steil thanked supporters, telling them, “I’m proud of what we accomplished in those eight years.”
Berman will be the first Democrat to represent the district since 1995.
Steil, a four-term incumbent from Janesville who has regularly outrun the top of the ticket, was initially expected to win reelection handily.
But national Democrats targeted Steil’s seat as political winds shifted against Republicans. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in September named Berman’s campaign to its “Red to Blue” program, and outside groups poured $7.7 million into the race behind Berman, according to a check of Federal Elections Commission and AdImpact data.
Pro-Steil groups countered with $12.9 million in spending.
Steil himself spent some $6.5 million this campaign cycle through Oct. 14, according to the FEC, while Berman spent $1.6 million.
Berman and Democrats attacked Steil for backing the GOP-authored budget reconciliation bill expected to cause hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites to lose health insurance. They also criticized provisions of that bill that cut taxes for the wealthy and allowed some major tech companies to avoid $70 billion in taxes, which Dems framed as a tax break for data centers.
Steil and GOP groups sought to paint Berman as a far-left extremist who wanted “endless freebies to illegal immigrants,” as one Congressional Leadership Fund ad put it, and highlighted Berman’s use of online dating and hookup websites Ashley Madison and Adult Friend Finder.