Democrat Peter Barca to challenge Bryan Steil in 1st Congressional District

WASHINGTON – Former Democratic congressman Peter Barca has made his decision: He's running for the southeastern Wisconsin House seat currently held by Republican Rep. Bryan Steil.

Barca told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he'll formally launch his campaign for the 1st Congressional District on Thursday, a move that's likely to re-energize Democrats' chances of competing for a seat that on paper is one of the state's closest battlegrounds.

"We have just a do-nothing, dysfunctional Congress, and people are hungry for leadership," Barca said. "I have a long record of bipartisanship, working across the aisle and getting things done for our community... So, now as much as ever, I think we're at a critical point."

The decision makes Barca, who represented the district in Congress from 1993 to 1995, the first big-name Democrat to enter the race against Steil, a Janesville Republican seeking his fourth term. Barca is likely to attract quick support from national Democrats who have listed the 1st District as a top target to flip as they seek to regain control of the House in November.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, House Democrats' main campaign arm, had been in touch with Barca about challenging Steil since last fall, Barca previously told the Journal Sentinel. He initially pushed back on the idea but said he changed his mind after witnessing the current inaction on Capitol Hill.

In an interview, Barca listed the economy and workforce issues, healthcare access for women and seniors and the U.S.-Mexico border as among the key issues he'd like to address in Congress.

He noted the economy has been improving but said people are still struggling to get ahead. He listed "family-supporting jobs that unions helped argue for" and efforts to stop outsourcing work overseas as ways to address workforce challenges. And he noted his past support for "Buy America" initiatives.

But he also said Congress needs to take action on immigration at the southern border — a topic that will be central to Republican campaigns.

"Month after month goes by, and you see we have a do-nothing, dysfunctional Congress on the key issues of our time," Barca said. "That's one of the things that changed my mind."

"I'm at a point in my career where I think I can — my kids are grown — I think I can make a difference," Barca said. "I have two grandkids, and I look at what does the future hold for them and other children... I want to make sure they have a much stronger, better future for America. And it's not looking positive at the moment, frankly."

Barca, 68, was first elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1985 and resigned in 1993 after being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He served in Congress until 1995, losing an election to Republican Mark Neumann. Following that loss, Democratic President Bill Clinton appointed Barca to serve as Midwest regional administrator to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

He returned to the state Assembly in 2009 — he served as the Democratic leader from 2011 to 2017 — but left in 2019 to join Gov. Tony Evers’ cabinet. One year earlier, he opted to seek reelection to his Assembly seat rather than run for the southeastern Wisconsin congressional seat, which at the time was held by former House Speaker Paul Ryan.

In 2017, the Kenosha Democrat stepped down as Assembly minority leader after more than six years in the role after facing pressure from members of his party. He had drawn the ire of some Democrats for voting for a $3 billion incentive package for Taiwanese manufacturing company Foxconn. Others were concerned about the lack of effectiveness of the caucus.

Barca played a prominent role in leading Assembly Democrats during the 2011 labor protests against Gov. Scott Walker’s legislation repealing most collective bargaining for most public employees. He marshaled a more than 60-hour continuous floor debate in an unsuccessful effort to kill the bill.

More recently, Barca was appointed secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue in 2019 and resigned from the post last month, winning accolades from Republicans who praised him for his ability to work across the aisle. Shortly after his resignation, Barca told the Journal Sentinel he was considering a congressional bid.

Just one other Democrat, Racine County emergency response manager Lorenzo Santos, is actively campaigning in the 1st Congressional District. But Santos has so far failed to gain steam in the race. Federal Election Commission reports show Santos raised just $12,000 in the first quarter of 2024 compared to Steil's nearly $640,000. Steil had just over $4 million in cash on hand at the start of the month.

Former Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan, who said this month that he was also considering a run, told the Journal Sentinel Thursday he will not enter the race and rather plans to support Barca. "We've gotta have somebody representing the 1st Congressional District that's willing to stand up and speak out against Donald Trump," he said. "The guy that's in there now is not doing that."

Republicans, meanwhile, have put their attention directly on Barca since he indicated he was interested in the seat. The Republican Party of Wisconsin has called Barca "a relic of the past" and this month released a mobile billboard truck in Kenosha attacking Barca on immigration.

On Thursday, the National Republican Congressional Committee, the House GOP's campaign group, was quick to label Barca "out of touch" with the district.

"It took national Democrats this long to find a sacrificial lamb to run against Representative Bryan Steil, and they settled on an open border, tax-and-spend Democrat who is too extreme for Southeastern Wisconsin," NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella told the Journal Sentinel.

Barca in the interview called the recent Republican attacks "political games that absolutely just make me sick to my stomach." He noted many Republicans, including those in House leadership, rejected a bipartisan border proposal from the Senate that included some of most stringent border policies Congress had seen in years. He called for its passage.

"They're trying to cover up for their lack of leadership, for the lack of results," Barca said. "They like to go to the border and they like to talk. They like to describe the problem; any fool can describe the problem. The problem is: Who has the leadership to actually achieve results? Who is going to stand up for the people of this area to make sure we actually get a deal."

"That's what I love best in public service," he said. "My whole focus is let's get results."

As he lamented the inaction that has been characteristic of the current Congress, he took aim at Steil, suggesting the Janesville Republican has not done enough to try to break through the gridlock in his own conference.

"Unlike his predecessor, I don't see him as being a leader," Barca said of Steil, who chairs the House Administration Committee, and referencing Ryan, the former speaker. "I don't see him as taking a leadership role in anything."

Barca accused Steil of falling in line with his party's leadership on votes and added: "I don't always side with my party."

"You're there to deliver results, plain and simple," Barca said.

Steil's campaign on Thursday issued its first attack of the cycle, pointing to a vote Barca took in the Assembly in 2016 against restricting funds to so-called sanctuary cities.

"For 40 years, Peter Barca has put his political career ahead of Wisconsin families," a Steil campaign spokesman said. "Bryan Steil is working for Wisconsin families and looks forward to a race focused on the issues."

Barca, meanwhile, maintained his focus on action and accountability.

"I actually will help deliver results, and if I don't get results, I should be replaced," Barca said. "I think people should be held accountable now than ever before."

Jessie Opoien of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Democrat Peter Barca to challenge Wisconsin congressman Bryan Steil