The college administrator says the school board victory shows he can win the 1st Congressional District

Miguel Aranda speaks to Democratic Party members after a party meeting in Kenosha on Nov. 6, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Aranda Congress Campaign)

On Miguel Aranda’s bid to be the Democratic candidate for Congress in Wisconsin’s 1stSt A congressional district, the college administrator says he brings a variety of assets.

A local political experience. In his second term on the Whitewater School District school board, he serves as vice president. Board elections are fair.

“I’m not in politics because I want to make a career out of it,” Eranda said in a recent interview. “I can work across the aisle.”

Aranda, 35, is one of a growing number of hopefuls seeking the Democratic nomination to run against U.S. Rep. Brian Steele, now in his fourth term. Other declared Democratic candidates are ironworker Randy Bryce, emergency room nurse Michelle Berman, Racine community activist Gage Stills and Janesville union leader Enrique Casiano.

“I’m the only one who won a political campaign,” Aranda said. “I know how important it is to bring people together and stay united.”

The most recent update of the Cook Political Report, December 9, maintained 1St The district’s projected 2026 outcome as “likely Republican”. Despite such predictions, the current cycle has drawn a wider array of potential Democratic opponents than the district has seen in years.

The party’s last contested primary came in 2020. In 2024, at least a three-way primary race was expected, following Peter Barça’s late entry into the contest.

Aranda is the Associate Director of the College Prep Program at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

A Spanish speaker and active Democratic Party volunteer for the past 15 years, Aranda has organized bilingual workshops at party events. When the Whitewater School District held a referendum in 2022 to raise property taxes in support of school district operations, Aranda said, he made presentations directed at the local Spanish-speaking community.

He said, ‘Public education is the priority of his main campaign. While funding is primarily a state and local function, the federal role in supporting public schools is important, he said, and he opposed the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the federal Department of Education.

“Public education is underfunded,” Aranda said. “Local constituencies will feel it in their pockets. Republicans are not doing much to help us invest in the future.”

Aranda’s parents, both Mexican immigrants, settled in Whitewater in the early 1990s, he said, and he grew up in the community, which straddles the line between Walworth and Jefferson counties.

“When we came to Whitewater, the only people who helped us were the public school teachers,” Aranda said of his family’s experience.

He said immigration reform is another concern of his campaign. In that, “there are a lot of things we can’t do at the local level,” Aranda said. “I truly believe that comprehensive and fair immigration reform will not only help public education, but also a lot of the deprivation and suffering that people are feeling.”

Aranda has a Masters in Business Administration. He has also held various other jobs, he said, giving him first-hand experience he believes many voters can identify with.

“I’ve worked in call centers, detention services and fast food,” Aranda said. “People want good, stable jobs – the message is very simple. I want to guarantee it for others.”

He supports a proposal by Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, to set the federal law Minimum Wage of Public School Teachers for $60,000.

“Republicans say you can’t do that, but now you see ICE [agents] Offer more money and loan forgivenessAranda said.

While Aranda is not the only Hispanic entrant in the Democratic race, he considers his ability to appeal to Hispanic voters to be one of his selling points. 1St The district has “a lot of Latino potential voters,” Aranda said. “They are disappointed by both political parties.”

Aranda said he is traveling throughout the district to meet with Democratic Party groups and seek their support. He said that efforts are being made to educate and engage casual voters and non-voters as well.

He described a recent visit to a college organization of Latino students. After your introduction and campaign 1St District, “No one knows who their representative is,” he said.

“Nobody knows what a Republican or a Democrat is and what they stand for,” he added. “Republicans take advantage of that, too.”

Aranda believes that getting people who are largely disengaged from politics interested and getting out to the polls could help Democrats flip the seat.

“I think there’s a huge opportunity,” he said. “I think there’s an opportunity for young voters, too — to make their voices heard.”

Subscribe: Get morning headlines delivered to your inbox