Brad
Smith
Democrat Brad Smith is the 2026 challenger to Rep. Glenn Grothman in Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District.
- sources
- 12
- positions
- 12
- endorsements
- 43
Background
Brad Smith is the 2026 Democratic nominee for Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District, challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Glenn Grothman in the November 3, 2026, general election. 67 Born in Larsen and raised in Neenah, Wisconsin, Smith currently resides in Mequon and runs a small digital consulting business. 148
Smith served in the Wisconsin National Guard as a Forward Observer, reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant and completing a 14-month deployment. 14 He holds a double major in Digital Media Design and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point and an MBA from UW–Eau Claire. 148
Before launching his consulting business, Smith began his career as a web designer at a Milwaukee software company, eventually rising to vice president on its executive team over roughly a decade as the firm grew through acquisitions and a NASDAQ listing. He also held senior roles at Fortune 500 companies and venture-backed startups. 14
Smith won the Democratic primary on August 12, 2026, narrowly defeating opponent Bell, and has no prior elected office on record. 6713
At a glance
- Party
- Democratic
- Running for
- U.S. House · District 6, Wisconsin
- Election
- Nov 3, 2026
- Current office
- Self-employed digital consultant
- Website
- bradsmithforcongress.com(opens in a new tab)
Where they stand
Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.
Timeline
- Oct 8newsFOX 11 publishes in-depth interview with Smith on affordability, tariffs, Iran war, and data centers
Smith criticized the Iran war's costs and effect on military readiness, argued retaliatory tariffs were harming Wisconsin dairy, whey, paper, and appliance sectors, and called for regulatory controls on data centers including transparency, community input, environmental protections, and operator financial liability.
6th Congressional District candidates Grothman, Smith go ... · Oct 8, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 28endorsementAFT-Wisconsin endorses Brad Smith for the November 2026 general election
AFT-Wisconsin listed Smith among its endorsed candidates for the fall 2026 election cycle, as noted on its resources page dated September 28 and updated October 3.
Fall 2026 Election · Sep 28, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 21newsSheboygan Press names Smith as Democratic nominee alongside four other general-election candidates
The Sheboygan Press reported Smith as the Democratic nominee and listed the full general-election field: Republican incumbent Glenn Grothman, independents Elizabeth Fitzgibbon and Mike Thurow, and Green Party candidate Matthew Arndt.
Wisconsin 6th Congressional District candidates share priorities · Sep 21, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 21newsSmith outlines county-by-county district tour and town hall plans in candidate questionnaire
In a Sheboygan Press candidate questionnaire, Smith said he would hold regular in-person and online town halls across the district, including in communities likely to disagree with him, and described a planned county-by-county tour over the following two months.
Wisconsin 6th Congressional District candidates share priorities · Sep 21, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Aug 11filingBrad Smith narrowly wins Democratic primary against Amanda Bell, 50.3% to 49.7%
Smith advanced to the general election after defeating Amanda Bell by a razor-thin margin in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District.
2026 Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District Election · Oct 9, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - May 28pollPoll shows Smith trailing Grothman 39% to 61% in Wisconsin's 6th District
A Tavern Research poll conducted around May 28 showed incumbent Republican Glenn Grothman leading Democratic challenger Brad Smith by a wide margin, 61% to 39%. No newer poll appeared in the sources reviewed.
2026 Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District Election · Oct 9, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Endorsements
- Tom Dunn officialCounty supervisor bradsmithforcongress.com
- Jodi Habush Sinykin officialWisconsin State Senator, District 8; endorsement announced by campaign but press-release page does not display a publication date bradsmithforcongress.com
- Maureen McCarville officialWisconsin State Representative, District 42 bradsmithforcongress.com
- Karen DeSanto officialWisconsin State Representative, District 40 bradsmithforcongress.com
- Ryan Sorenson officialMayor of Sheboygan bradsmithforcongress.com
- Austin Hammond officialMayor of Menasha bradsmithforcongress.com
- Karl Buelow officialOshkosh deputy mayor and city council member bradsmithforcongress.com
- Dan Vogel officialCounty supervisor bradsmithforcongress.com
- Melissa Custer officialCounty supervisor bradsmithforcongress.com
- Tess Carr officialCounty supervisor bradsmithforcongress.com
- Tim Henney officialCounty supervisor bradsmithforcongress.com
- Alec Lefeber officialOshkosh city council member bradsmithforcongress.com
- Kevin Crawford otherFormer mayor of Manitowoc bradsmithforcongress.com
- Joey Marschall otherFormer 6th District candidate in 2026 bradsmithforcongress.com
- Ethan Poulos otherChair of Ozaukee County Dream for America bradsmithforcongress.com
- SEIU Wisconsin unionbradsmithforcongress.com
- IBEW Local 494 unionbradsmithforcongress.com
- Sierra Club organizationbradsmithforcongress.com
- Take BAC Congress organizationbradsmithforcongress.com
- Moms Demand Action organizationbradsmithforcongress.com
- SMART Local 18 unionbradsmithforcongress.com
- ATU Local 998 unionbradsmithforcongress.com
- National Organization for Women organizationbradsmithforcongress.com
- Tammy Baldwin officialU.S. Senator bradsmithforcongress.com
- Melissa Ratcliff officialWisconsin State Senator, District 18 bradsmithforcongress.com
- Andrew Hysell officialWisconsin State Representative, District 48 bradsmithforcongress.com
- Alex Joers officialWisconsin State Representative, District 81 bradsmithforcongress.com
- Justin Nickels officialMayor of Manitowoc bradsmithforcongress.com
- Matt Fiene officialMayor of Portage bradsmithforcongress.com
- Rob Holyoke officialCounty supervisor bradsmithforcongress.com
- Connie Kinkaide officialCounty supervisor bradsmithforcongress.com
- Kat Griffith officialCounty supervisor bradsmithforcongress.com
- Liz Miller officialCounty supervisor bradsmithforcongress.com
- Gwen Moore officialU.S. Representative, Wisconsin's 4th District bradsmithforcongress.com
- Martha Laning otherFormer chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin bradsmithforcongress.com
- Aaron Wojciechowski otherFormer 6th District candidate in 2026 bradsmithforcongress.com
- Mike Heidenreich otherFormer 6th District candidate in 2026 bradsmithforcongress.com
- Matt Beat otherPolitical educator bradsmithforcongress.com
- Wisconsin AFL-CIO unionEndorsement announced September 8, 2026 prweb.com · Sep 8, 2026
- Our Wisconsin Revolution organizationDate from Our Wisconsin Revolution endorsement listing joinstump.com · Jul 30, 2026
- Kristin Dassler-Alfheim officialWisconsin State Senator, District 18; endorsement announced 'this week' in a July 2, 2026 report wispolitics.com · Jul 2, 2026
- National Education Association (NEA) organizationDual endorsement with WEAC; date from PRWeb listing prweb.com · May 26, 2026
- Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) organizationDual endorsement with NEA; date from PRWeb listing prweb.com · May 26, 2026
Campaign finance
Totals filed with the Federal Election Commission for the 2026 election cycle.
- Raised
- $166K
- Spent
- $106K
- Cash on hand
- $60K
As of Jul 22, 2026. Filings are periodic, so recent money may not be included yet. ↳ FEC record H6WI06191(opens in a new tab)
Sources 12
- [1] Stump | The Endorsement Marketplace for Local Candidates(opens in a new tab) Oct 10, 2026
- [2] 2026 Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District Election(opens in a new tab) Oct 9, 2026
- [3] 6th Congressional District candidates Grothman, Smith go ...(opens in a new tab) Oct 8, 2026
- [4] Fall 2026 Election(opens in a new tab) Sep 28, 2026
- [5] Endorsements — Brad Smith for Wisconsin(opens in a new tab) Sep 24, 2026
- [6] Wisconsin 6th Congressional District candidates share priorities(opens in a new tab) Sep 21, 2026
- [7] Priorities and Positions — Brad Smith for Wisconsin(opens in a new tab) Sep 12, 2026
- [8] All Congressional & Presidential Campaigns News and ... - PRWeb(opens in a new tab) Sep 8, 2026
- [9] Brad Smith Earns Wisconsin AFL-CIO Endorsement in Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District Race(opens in a new tab) Sep 8, 2026
- [10] Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District candidates 2026 ...(opens in a new tab) Jul 14, 2026
- [11] Brad Smith campaign continues to earn support across ...(opens in a new tab) Jul 2, 2026
- [12] Press Releases(opens in a new tab) Oct 29, 2025