Peter Barca, a former Democratic congressman from southeast Wisconsin in the 1990s, has announced his candidacy for Congress against Republican incumbent Bryan Steil, who is seeking a fourth term. The 1st Congressional District in Wisconsin, previously held by Paul Ryan, has become more competitive after new boundary lines were adopted in 2022. Barca has a long history in politics, with previous terms in Congress and leadership roles in the state Assembly. Barca is the first well-known Democrat to join the race, with national Democrats expected to back his campaign. The primary is set for August 13, with Barca emphasizing his commitment to working families and his opposition to a “do-nothing, dysfunctional Congress.”
The race for Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District is seen as a target for Democrats nationally as they aim to regain majority control of the House. The district is one of only two in Wisconsin that are viewed as competitive, with the other being western Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District held by Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden. Republicans currently hold six of Wisconsin’s eight congressional seats. Barca, 68, previously held the 1st Congressional District seat from 1993 to 1995, and had considered running for the seat again after Ryan stepped down in 2018. The Steil campaign has criticized Barca for prioritizing his political career over Wisconsin families and cited his voting record, including opposing a sanctuary city ban in 2016 and supporting a gas tax increase in 1993.
Barca’s political career has been marked by his leadership in the state Assembly and his service as state revenue secretary under former President Bill Clinton. He served in the state Assembly from 1985 until 1993, when he won a special election to Congress. After losing in 1995, he was appointed by Clinton to serve as Midwest regional administrator to the U.S. Small Business Administration. Barca returned to the Assembly in 2008 and served as Democratic minority leader from 2011 to 2017. During his time as minority leader, he was involved in the fight over collective bargaining rights, including organizing a filibuster in the Assembly that lasted more than 60 hours.
Barca’s decision to step down as minority leader in part was due to criticism from fellow Democrats over his support for a $3 billion incentive package for Foxconn, a Taiwanese manufacturing company that had planned to locate a massive facility in his district. Barca resigned from the Assembly in 2019 when Governor Tony Evers appointed him as secretary of the state Department of Revenue, a position he held until last month. The Steil campaign has labeled Barca as a “sacrificial lamb” with out-of-touch policies, while emphasizing Steil’s electoral wins in 2018, 2020, and 2022. Barca’s campaign is expected to receive support from national Democrats as they work to flip all competitive districts in 2022.
