Bryan Steil, a three-term representative with a robust campaign fund of $3.6 million, maintains a stronghold in Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District, a seat previously occupied by GOP House Speaker Paul Ryan. In 2022, Steil won the district by nearly 10% and currently is without a prominent democrat foe.
Despite the absence of a prominent Democrat contender, the liberal group Opportunity Wisconsin has surprisingly singled out the Janesville Republican as one of the nation’s most targeted candidates for the 2024 elections.
This unexpected move by Opportunity Wisconsin piques curiosity and raises questions about their strategy.
Opportunity Wisconsin, known for influencing Wisconsin voters against Donald Trump in 2020, has allocated a substantial $1.4 million in advertising to criticize Steil, as reported by AdImpact on Feb. 12. This spending ranks as the third-highest for any U.S. House of Representatives race and the ninth-highest overall among candidates in federal or state offices for 2024, according to AdImpact, a Washington, D.C.-based advertising tracking firm.
Interestingly, Opportunity Wisconsin’s focus deviates from the expected issues of the economy, abortion, immigration, democracy, and Ukraine. Led by former U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin aide Meghan Roh, the group has chosen to target Steil on Social Security, Medicare, prescription drug prices, and tax breaks for the wealthy. This strategic shift by Opportunity Wisconsin, aimed at championing laws benefiting working families, such as the Inflation Reduction Act, which Steil voted against, raises concerns about the future of these policies.
Notably, one of the group’s TV ads accused Steil of wanting to “cut Social Security and Medicare,” a claim PolitiFact deemed “mostly false.”
Legislative redistricting in 2022 has made Steil’s 1st District less Republican for down-ballot GOP candidates, contributing to the increased targeting. Despite Steil winning with 54% of the vote in 2022 (down from 59% in 2020), the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court decision not to redraw congressional maps further solidifies the district’s current political balance. Before this decision, speculation was that such a move could jeopardize Steil’s position, given the delicate political balance in his district.
This intensified focus on Steil aligns with a broader trend of increased outside spending in the 2024 federal races, surpassing all previous election cycles, as campaign finance watchdog OpenSecrets reported. The $318 million spent on presidential and congressional races as of Jan. 14 is more than six times the amount spent at the same point in 2020.
