Peter Barca 'strongly considering' 1st Congressional District run against Bryan Steil

WASHINGTON – Former Democratic congressman and state Assembly leader Peter Barca could launch a campaign to challenge Republican Rep. Bryan Steil in the coming weeks, according to two sources with knowledge of his plans.

Barca, who on Thursday announced his departure from his role as secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, has been considering a run for the 1st Congressional District seat for several months, one source told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Both people said Barca, who previously represented the district from 1993 to 1995, is "strongly considering" a run. Barca on Friday confirmed to the Journal Sentinel he was considering a run and would make his decision in the coming weeks.

“I feel like I’ve always been part of trying to get things done and solve problems and stand up for working families," Barca said in a brief interview. "We need people to pay attention now more than ever."

Barca's impending entrance into the race could re-energize Democrats' chances of competing in the southeastern Wisconsin House district that on paper is the state's tightest battleground. Steil, in his fourth term in Congress, has not faced a big-name challenger in recent years and has won his last reelection races handily.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, House Democrats' main campaign arm, had been in touch with Barca about a potential run since last fall, Barca said. A DCCC spokeswoman declined comment.

An adviser to Steil declined to comment on the developments. But a Republican Party of Wisconsin spokesman on Thursday called Barca "a relic of the past" with "out-of-touch" policies.

"If he makes the mistake of running against Congressman Steil, his campaign will end the same way his last race did 30 years ago," the spokesman, Matt Fisher, said in a statement.

Barca was first elected to the 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 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.

As revenue secretary, Barca has been involved in several historic bipartisan deals, including a significant overhaul of the state's alcohol industry and a law that boosted funding for local governments throughout Wisconsin.

"Peter has been with our administration since Day One, and I knew from the beginning that he would be a dedicated, enthusiastic, and effective leader for the Department of Revenue,” Evers said in a statement. “We’ve accomplished much together over the past five years on behalf of the people of Wisconsin, including ensuring Wisconsin taxpayers will see $1.5 billion in tax relief annually through income tax cuts I’ve signed into law. I thank Peter for service and wish him and his family all the best."

Barca's reported interest in running again for Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District comes as the seat is one of just two competitive House districts in the state.

The addition of the historically blue city of Beloit and the removal of the Republican suburbs of southern Waukesha County from the district during redistricting in 2022 shifted the seat more purple. Republicans currently have a 2-point edge.

Two Democrats — Lorenzo Santos and Diane Anderson — have announced runs for the district this cycle. Another Democrat, Anthony Hammes, dropped out of the race in October, writing in a Federal Election Commission report that he "never came close to raising enough funds" to report them to the commission.

But Barca's potential entrance into the race could increase attention on the race. National Democrats last year signaled they would target the seat in 2024.

Barca, meanwhile, has frequently earned praise from both sides of the aisle during his career.

When he stepped down from his Assembly leadership post, Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, described Barca as “a rare breed in Madison, a politician who can disagree and advocate for his position without being disagreeable.” Walker once praised him as a “straight shooter” despite their political differences.

And when Evers appointed Barca to lead the Department of Revenue, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said the governor "finally got one right" by selecting a "reasonable Democrat who is more than willing to work across the aisle."

After Evers announced Thursday that Barca would leave his post with the Department of Revenue, Barca received similar praise.

Republican state Rep. John Macco of Ledgeview, who chairs the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, touted "tremendous accomplishments" made by working across the aisle during Barca's time with the agency as a "classic example of what our political parties can do when we have a shared goal."

"Similar to President Ronald Reagan’s productive relationship with Speaker Tip O’Neill, I consider Secretary Barca a friend," Macco said in a statement. "Secretary Barca has a long history of public service, from the State Assembly to Congress. I have enjoyed working with him, and I wish him well in his future endeavors."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Peter Barca 'strongly considering' 1st Congressional District run