Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District House Race 2026

Wauwatosa is moving to fill a vacant District 6 aldermanic seat that has sat empty since former Ald. Sean Lowe resigned in April after buying a home outside his district. Six applicants — Michael Hemmingsen, Lawrence Hoth, Erik Jessup-Anger, John Myers, Derek Steinmetz and Jozef Zwier — will interview Aug. 26 before a five-person committee of alderpersons, which will recommend a candidate to the Common Council for a temporary appointment. The council is set to vote on that recommendation Sept. 29, with the appointee earning $587.50 per month and serving until an April 6, 2027 special election decides who completes the remainder of the term.

The plan followed pushback from nearly 40 residents who petitioned the council for faster representation after a Government Affairs Committee proposal initially called for waiting until 2027 to fill the seat through election alone. The council amended that plan on July 28 to pursue both an interim appointment and the special election. District 6, covering the Pasadena and Tosa East Towne neighborhoods, is one of 12 districts under Wauwatosa's newly redrawn map, which shrank the Common Council from 16 to 12 members. Candidacy filing for the 2027 election opens in December.

Democrats have added Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District, held by Republican Rep. Bryan Steil, to the DCCC's "red to blue" program targeting vulnerable GOP incumbents. Challenger Mitchell Berman, a nurse and first-time candidate, is betting that voter anger over the economy, health care costs and gas prices under President Trump can overcome Steil's fundraising edge and name recognition after eight years in office. Steil, who succeeded Paul Ryan in a district with deep manufacturing losses, has won all four of his races by at least 9 points and entered August with a large cash advantage over Berman.

The race illustrates broader national trends: Trump-aligned PACs have spent tens of millions on House ads since September, with the vast majority going toward defending districts Trump carried in 2024 rather than targeting Democratic-held seats, signaling Republicans are largely on defense this cycle. Democrats hope a strong enough "blue wave" could flip even well-funded, longtime incumbents like Steil, though party officials on both sides say an upset remains a steep climb for Berman.

Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District has emerged as one of the most closely watched races that could help decide control of the U.S. House next year. Republican incumbent Derrick Van Orden faces a rematch against Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke, who lost to him by roughly 11,000 votes in 2024. Analysts describe the campaign as increasingly negative, with both sides now focused on attacking each other's records rather than introducing themselves to voters.

President Trump looms over the contest even though he is not on the ballot. Van Orden has embraced Trump, saying he would welcome him back to the district, breaking from Republicans elsewhere trying to distance themselves from the president amid his low approval ratings. Cooke, who calls herself a moderate Democrat, is appealing to voters who have split tickets in the past, arguing Republican control of Congress and the White House makes the GOP accountable. The race is one of several competitive midterm contests nationally that will shape House control.

Rebecca Cooke defeated Emily Berge in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary, setting up a third consecutive matchup against Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden. Cooke, who grew up on a dairy farm near Eau Claire and works as a waitress and small-business owner, narrowly lost to Van Orden in 2024 by less than three percentage points after also losing the 2022 primary. She entered this year's primary with backing from the DCCC's "Red to Blue" program, while Berge campaigned as a local alternative skeptical of national party influence. Cooke holds a fundraising edge, having raised about $8.6 million to Van Orden's $7.5 million, though he retains nearly $3 million more cash on hand.

The western Wisconsin district, covering Eau Claire and La Crosse, has trended Republican in presidential races but is rated a toss-up, making it Democrats' top target in the state as they seek to retake the House majority in November. Cooke is campaigning on rural frustration over Trump administration policies, including tariffs that have hurt farm exports, cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, and rising fuel and fertilizer costs tied to the Iran conflict, while Van Orden defends his record backing Trump's agenda. The race is part of a broader Wisconsin battleground that includes the 1st District, where nurse Mitchell Berman will challenge GOP Rep. Bryan Steil, and the solid-red 7th District, won by Sean Duffy's son-in-law Michael Alfonso in the Republican primary.

Democrats have added Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District, held by Republican Rep. Bryan Steil since 2019, to the DCCC's "red to blue" target list, boosting resources for challenger Mitchell Berman, a nurse and first-time candidate. Democrats hope voter anger over Trump's approval rating, healthcare costs, gas prices and tariffs could turn a modest "blue wave" into a bigger upset, though officials in both parties consider it a long shot given Steil's name recognition and fundraising edge.

Steil and allied groups have outspent Berman roughly 2-1, entering August with $6.3 million cash on hand versus about $152,000 for Berman. Nationally, Trump-aligned groups No Going Back PAC and Safety and Affordability PAC have spent more than $84 million on House ads since September, with 96% concentrated in districts Trump carried in 2024 — a sign Republicans are playing defense but retain a financial cushion. Steil, seen as a possible 2028 Senate contender, has won his prior four races by at least 9 points. The district, anchored by Racine, Kenosha and Janesville, leans Republican but has grown more competitive under redrawn maps.

Democrats are targeting Republican Rep. Bryan Steil in Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District, adding it to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's "red to blue" program as part of a broader effort to widen the House map ahead of the midterms. Challenger Mitchell Berman, a nurse and first-time candidate, is leaning on his working-class background and voter frustration over the economy, health care costs and gas prices to make the race competitive in a district Republicans have held for three decades, previously represented by Paul Ryan.

Steil, seeking a fifth term, has outraised and outspent Berman roughly 2-to-1 and enters with a large cash advantage. Trump-aligned groups No Going Back PAC and Safety and Affordability PAC have poured tens of millions into House races nationally, with the vast majority going to districts Trump won in 2024, underscoring Republicans' largely defensive posture this cycle. Party officials on both sides acknowledge Berman faces long odds against Steil's name recognition, though Democrats hope a large enough anti-Trump wave could still flip the seat.

Democrats are targeting Wisconsin Rep. Bryan Steil's seat as part of a broader push to expand the House battlefield ahead of the midterms. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District, held by Republicans for more than three decades, to its "red to blue" program in September, boosting resources for challenger Mitchell Berman, a nurse and first-time candidate running on a working-class message and voter frustration over the economy, healthcare costs and tariffs.

Steil, a fifth-term incumbent and former aide to Paul Ryan, has significantly outraised Berman and enjoys strong name recognition, and Republicans and Democrats alike say beating him will be difficult despite the district growing more competitive under 2022 redistricting. Trump-aligned PACs have poured tens of millions into House ad spending nationally, overwhelmingly in Trump-won districts, underscoring Republicans' defensive posture this cycle even as they retain a financial edge. The race is seen as a bellwether for how large a Democratic wave might materialize in 2026.