UAW says Berman will “fight for working people” in first union endorsement in race for WI-01
RAYMOND, Wis. – The United Auto Workers (UAW) has endorsed ER nurse Mitchell Berman in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District. This marks the first union endorsement in the race.
The UAW has a significant presence in the First Congressional District representing workers in manufacturing, health care and other industries. Thousands of UAW retirees from Racine CNH, Kenosha AMC/Chrysler, and Janesville GM also live and vote in the district.
The UAW Wisconsin State CAP Council issued the following statement:
“The UAW Wisconsin State CAP Council is proud to endorse Mitchell Berman for Congress in Wisconsin’s First CD. Mitchell is a nurse and a union member who shares our UAW values. We know he will fight for working people, not the billionaire class. We believe Mitchell Berman is the best candidate to take on MAGA candidate Bryan Steil and win in November.”
Mitchell Berman said:
“I am honored to earn the endorsement of the UAW, and I will always fight for working people. I grew up working class and have been a union member at every organized facility where I’ve worked. I’m still an at-large member of my nurse’s union today. Organized labor is the only way to make sure that workers’ rights are protected and not trampled upon by corporations.”
On Thursday, April 2, Berman met with Local 72 Retirees in Kenosha to hear directly from them and discuss the issues most affecting people today. Photos are available upon request.
Born and raised in a one-stoplight town in rural Wisconsin, Mitchell Berman learned the values of community, integrity, and hard work from his parents. He was the first in his family to graduate college, working three jobs and taking out student loans to earn his degree. Determined to build a life through grit and perseverance, not privilege, he started working at age 12 and became a union member while in college. Berman is an emergency room nurse who has served veterans at the VA for more than a decade. A devoted husband and father, he’s running for Congress to put people over politics, and to fight for Wisconsin families.
The First Congressional District is one of the most competitive in the country, and has been named a “District in Play” by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. It encompasses Janesville, Kenosha, Racine, Beloit, Elkhorn, Whitewater, and the Milwaukee suburbs of Cudahy, St. Francis, and South Milwaukee. In 2024, Donald Trump carried the swing district narrowly with just 51 percent of the vote. In both the 2023 and 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, Justices Janet Protasiewicz and Susan Crawford won the district handily by 6- and 6.5-point margins, respectively. The primary election will take place on August 11, 2026, with the general election on November 3rd. Learn more at BermanForCongress.com.
