Republican US Rep. Bryan Steil wins reelection bid for Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District

Republican U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil won his reelection bid Tuesday and will serve a fourth term as the representative for the state’s 1st Congressional District. 

Steil beat Democrat Peter Barca in a race that saw no shortage of attacks. The Associated Press called the race shortly after 11 p.m. With 76 percent of the vote in, Steil had 55.8 percent of the vote, while Barca, a former longtime member of the Wisconsin Assembly who was previously elected to Congress in 1993, received 42.1 percent. 

In a victory speech in Sturtevant after the race was called, Steil nodded to key issues in the race of inflation and immigration.

“Tonight’s a good night for every family who can’t afford the things that they need and I tell you, help is on the way,” Steil said during his victory speech in Sturtevant. “Tonight’s a good night for everyone who knows we need to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.”

Steil, 43, of Janesville, was first elected to office in 2018. He represents the district that was once held for 20 years by former U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan. 

Steil spent time working in the manufacturing industry before he ran for the seat. He was also appointed by GOP former Gov. Scott Walker to serve on the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. 

In Congress, he serves as the chair of the Committee on House Administration and also sits on the House Financial Services Committee. 

On the campaign trail, Steil focused on two key issues — securing the U.S.-Mexico border and lowering costs for Americans. In an interview with WPR ahead of the election, Steil blamed President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ administration for the post-pandemic inflation that led to a spike in prices. Steil told WPR he plans to work to control federal spending. 

Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District stretches west from Lake Michigan along the southeastern corner of the state. It includes Kenosha and Racine counties, the majority of Walworth County and parts of Rock and Milwaukee counties.

Steil won reelection in 2022 by nearly 10 points. When he ran in 2020, he received nearly 60 percent of the vote.

Barca, 69, entered the race in April after he stepped down as the secretary of Wisconsin’s Department of Revenue. 

Barca served for nine terms as a representative in the Wisconsin State Assembly. That included a stint as Democratic minority leader before he stepped down from that role in 2017.