The blue wave that swept the nation Tuesday touched down in Wisconsin, propelling Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley to a victory over Congressman Tom Tiffany in the race for governor.
And as part of the wave, southeastern Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District will be represented by a Democrat for the first time in more than 20 years.
Democrat Mitchell Berman is a nurse and first-time candidate. He beat Republican Bryan Steil, who’s held the Congressional District 1 since he first was elected in 2018.
At Berman’s victory party Tuesday, he thanked voters "for believing in what this campaign stood for, believing in our message, and believing that a working-class nurse from rural Wisconsin could take on the wealthy, the powerful, the elite and bring some new representation to Congress for Southeastern Wisconsin."
Berman’s campaign focused in large part on the nation’s tough economy — and wanting to provide relief for people who are suffering. He addressed the topic in his speech to supporters.
"As an ER nurse, I've seen patients rationing their medication because they didn't know if they'd be able to afford their next refill. I've see working families, including my own, do everything right and still get squeezed to the brink. And I came into this race to fight for them," he said.
Tuesday was a good day for Democrats who targeted President Trump’s tariffs and other policies.
Congressman Steil alluded to the Democrats' blue wave as he spoke to his supporters.
"As I said, it was a difficult night. Tonight was not our night," he said.
Steil says he loves Wisconsin — and that the work to make the U.S. the “greatest country in the world” will always continue.
"I'm proud of what we accomplished during those eight years. I think we made a lot of progress for this state and for this country," he said.
