CIVPAC endorses Mitchell Berman in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District.
Defeating Republican Representative Bryan Steil will not be easy. Steil is a well-funded incumbent who won reelection by ten percentage points in 2024 and entered the summer with a commanding financial advantage. Although the district is potentially competitive, Democrats need a nominee capable of building a serious campaign and appealing to voters well beyond the party’s activist base.
Berman has emerged as the strongest candidate for that challenge.
Berman is an emergency-room nurse who previously cared for veterans at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center. That experience gives him direct knowledge of both private and government health-care systems and of the practical consequences when cost, access and administration fail patients.
CIVPAC’s preferred health-care system differs from the conventional Democratic approach. But Berman is right that access, affordability and incentives must be addressed together, and his firsthand knowledge would bring a perspective Congress badly needs.
He has also made democratic accountability and political corruption central parts of his campaign.
We would not endorse every campaign-finance restriction favored by Democratic reform groups. CIVPAC believes political spending is protected speech, although disclosure and strong conflict-of-interest rules are essential. But Berman’s broader concern—that concentrated political influence can make government less responsive and less trusted—is legitimate.
Berman’s published platform is still less developed than we would prefer on fiscal policy, immigration and foreign affairs. Before the general election, Wisconsin voters deserve clearer answers on the national debt, Ukraine, NATO, tariffs, border policy and the proper limits of executive power.
A primary endorsement, however, must be based on the choices presently available.
Berman offers the strongest combination of experience, roots in the district, concern for democratic government and the organizational capacity required to wage a credible general-election campaign.
CIVPAC endorses Mitchell Berman in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District.