Who's running in Wisconsin's 6th congressional district
5 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
5 candidates · ballot order · Glenn Grothman currently holds this seat
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Lowering prescription drug prices through expanded Medicare negotiation, a public option and more community health centers.
More 'missing middle' housing and limits on Wall Street investors buying up neighborhoods.
Apprenticeships, technical education and Pell Grants; more support for public K-12 schools.
Ending subsidies for offshoring and supporting workers' right to organize.
Secure borders and elections paired with humane immigration policy and access to the ballot.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Founder and principal consultant of Kinetic Pursuit, a small-business consulting firm; MBA from the University of Wisconsin MBA Consortium.
Served a 14-month overseas deployment with the National Guard.
Won the August 11, 2026 Democratic primary by 480 votes over Amanda Bell.
Endorsed by the National Education Association, the Wisconsin Education Association Council and state Sens. Melissa Ratcliff, Jodi Habush Sinykin and Kristin Dassler-Alfheim.
Has not held elected office.
Arguments in favor
'You don't win a district like Wisconsin's Sixth by writing off voters' — he has built trust across the aisle by showing up and listening on jobs, health care, schools and farms, and can bring together Democrats, independents and moderate Republicans.
— Brad Smith, to the News Graphic (Ozaukee County)
'The turnout we saw shows that people across this district are ready for change' — nearly 70,000 voters took part in the Democratic primary.
— Brad Smith, primary-night statement reported by the News Graphic
Arguments against
The district has been a Republican stronghold, Grothman has never had a close election, and Smith won his own party's nomination by only 480 votes while facing competition for anti-Grothman voters from two independents and a Green.
— Wisconsin Examiner and News Graphic reporting
What we couldn’t verify
No criticism of Smith by Grothman's campaign, the NRCC or Republican groups could be found.
His campaign website was not read directly.
Whether the candidates will debate had not been reported.
Keeping work centers open for people with disabilities.
Eliminating the marriage penalty in government assistance programs.
Getting more generic medications on the market.
Securing the border and fixing the immigration system.
Welfare reform, arguing that current programs discourage work.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
US Representative for Wisconsin's 6th District since January 2015; more than 30 years in the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate before that.
Serves on the House Oversight, Budget, Education and Workforce, and Judiciary committees.
Introduced the CRACKDOWN Act on improper payments to states for federal child care programs.
Said at a February 2025 town hall that cutting Medicaid 'would be a mistake', and later voted for the 2025 Republican budget law.
Won 61.2% in 2024; unopposed in the August 11, 2026 Republican primary.
Arguments in favor
'I work for you, and your priorities are my priorities' — including practical changes like keeping disability work centers open, ending the marriage penalty for assistance programs and bringing more generic drugs to market.
— Glenn Grothman for Congress campaign site
Welfare programs need reform because 'it discourages people from working', and President Trump has 'done some very good things' across the board.
— Rep. Glenn Grothman, Oshkosh-area town hall reported by WPR
Arguments against
Grothman has 'basically been a rubber stamp': he said cutting Medicaid would be a mistake, knew rural hospitals would be hurt, 'and then he still voted for it anyways.'
— Mike Thurow, independent opponent, to IVN
He 'has stayed in lockstep with this administration', and voters say he has 'failed to safeguard the security and opportunities families depend on.'
— Amanda Bell and Brad Smith, Democratic candidates, to the News Graphic
What we couldn’t verify
Grothman did not answer WUWM's 2026 candidate questionnaire.
No DCCC material naming Grothman in 2026 could be found.
Whether he will debate his opponents had not been reported.
Stronger federal oversight of utilities, pharmaceuticals and food supply chains, and banning private equity from buying single-family homes.
Medicare negotiation of all drug prices and letting every American buy into the health coverage members of Congress receive.
Removing the Social Security payroll tax cap.
Banning stock and cryptocurrency trading by members of Congress and the president; term limits; campaign finance reform and a ban on gerrymandering.
An expanded child tax credit, right to repair, regulating AI and data centers, no new foreign wars and legalizing marijuana.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Milwaukee Fire Department firefighter since 2013; fire captain and HAZMAT team director.
Worked nearly a decade at Health Care for the Homeless.
Endorsed by Working Class Heroes Fund, a PAC tied to Dan Osborn.
Has pledged not to accept corporate PAC money and to limit himself to the term limits he proposes.
Has not held elected office.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
No published criticism of Thurow by Grothman's campaign, Democrats or any other named source could be found; to keep the candidate balanced, supportive statements from his backers are not listed as arguments.
Thurow did not answer WUWM's candidate questionnaire.
How his candidacy will affect the Democratic and Republican vote had not been established in the sources read.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
Five candidates are on the ballot. Republican incumbent Glenn Grothman was unopposed in the August 11, 2026 primary. Democrat Brad Smith won his primary over former US Geological Survey deputy director Amanda Bell by 480 votes, about 0.6 points; the margin allowed a recount, but Bell conceded and endorsed him. Three more candidates qualified directly for November: Wisconsin Green Party candidate Matthew Arndt and independents Elizabeth Anne Fitzgibbon and Mike Thurow. A Republican county chair challenged Fitzgibbon's signatures, and the Wisconsin Elections Commission rejected the challenge in June 2026. Thurow, a Milwaukee fire captain, is backed by a PAC tied to Nebraska independent Dan Osborn. The 11-county east-central district includes Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Ripon and Mequon. It has been a Republican stronghold for decades; Grothman won 61.2% in 2024. Candidates are listed Democrat, Republican, then Green, following Wisconsin's rule of ordering parties by their share of the last governor's race, then independents alphabetically; this order is assumed, not confirmed from a sample ballot.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A Wisconsin ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Wisconsin Elections Commission.