Wisconsin's 5th District Primary

Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI) faces no opponent in the Republican primary for Wisconsin's 5th U.S. House District on Aug. 11, leaving Democrats to settle their own nomination fight before the winner takes him on in November. Andrew Beck and Ben Steinhoff are competing for the Democratic nod in a district forecasters unanimously rate solidly Republican.

Wisconsin runs a partisan primary system: Republicans and Democrats each hold separate contests, with each party's winner advancing to the general election. Both primaries fall on Aug. 11, and the general election is set for Nov. 3. Wisconsin's 5th covers Washington and Jefferson counties, most of Waukesha County, and portions of Dodge, Milwaukee and Walworth counties, an area that has produced reliably Republican margins for over a decade.

The Candidates

Fitzgerald has held the seat since January 2021, arriving after eight years as Wisconsin State Senate majority leader. He now sits on the House Financial Services Committee and chairs a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee. Among his recent legislative activity, he introduced the PROTECT USA Act of 2026, referred in June to the Energy and Commerce and Judiciary committees.

Two Democrats are running for the chance to face him. Ben Steinhoff, of Waukesha, is a career first responder with roughly twelve years of experience as a paramedic, firefighter, and dispatcher, including time in a children's emergency department and operating room. This is his second run at the seat: he lost the 2024 general election to Fitzgerald by a wide districtwide margin, but came within 184 votes of winning Milwaukee County outright, evidence of localized strength he's hoping to build on. His platform centers on healthcare access, education and first responder policy, and he has also called for legalizing marijuana nationally.

Andrew Beck, who goes by Andy, is a lifelong Wisconsin resident and first-time candidate. He worked his way from waiting tables into healthcare as an MRI technologist before moving into product development at GE Healthcare in Waukesha, later earning an MBA. Beck describes himself as a pragmatic outsider rather than a career politician, and has centered his campaign on protecting democratic institutions, expanding healthcare access, including preserving women's reproductive healthcare decisions, and supporting working-class and union interests.

The Money Behind the Race

Fitzgerald leads all candidates in fundraising, having raised $1,376,100 with $886,619 in disbursements and $1,327,087 cash on hand, according to Federal Election Commission records covering activity through July 22. Beck has raised $14,612, spent $11,590 and holds $3,158 cash on hand, as of June 30. Steinhoff has raised $5,937, spent $7,651, and reports no cash on hand.

Individual contribution data shows a similar gap in donor bases. Fitzgerald's itemized individual contributions lean heavily on larger donors, with $202,558 from contributions of $2,000 and over and $106,409 from the $1,000 to $1,999 range. Steinhoff's individual contributions are almost entirely small-dollar, with $2,937 from donations of $200 and under and $3,000 from the $1,000 to $1,999 range. Beck's individual contributions are also small-dollar, with $3,829 from $200-and-under donors and $300 from the $200 to $499 range.

Ratings vs. Odds

Cook Political Report and Inside Elections both rate Wisconsin's 5th Solid Republican; Sabato's Crystal Ball rates it Safe Republican. All three are unanimous that the seat isn't competitive in November regardless of which Democrat advances. Kalshi prices the Republican nominee's odds of winning the general election at 91.5%, with the Democratic nominee at 8.6%. Trading volume on the contract stood at $3,456, thin activity consistent with a race treated as effectively decided months ahead of the vote. Ratings and markets are telling the same story here: the primary elections will likely have little effect on Republicans' superior chances this November.

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